clutched
Grasped with urgency
Clutched is the past tense of clutch, meaning to grasp or hold tightly, often with urgency or desperation: She clutched the railing as the boat rocked.
The word suggests intensity—you clutch something you're afraid to lose or reaching for anxiously: He clutched at any excuse.
In sports, clutched describes performing well under pressure: She really clutched that last shot.
Held with pressure
- heldKept in grasp
- grabbedTook suddenly by hand
- seizedTook suddenly, forcefully
- claspedHeld firmly together
clenched · grasped · snatched · clung · latched · squeezed · white-knuckled · handheld
Overwhelmed by sudden fear
- chokedHad airway blocked
- frozeBecame solid or still
- tensedBecame taut or rigid
- nervousUneasy and apprehensive
overwhelmed · desperate · frantic · stressed · jittery · tense · fearful · alarmed
gripped
Held with pressure
clasped · clenched · grasped · snatched · clung · latched · squeezed · white-knuckled · handheld · stranglehold
panicked
Overwhelmed by sudden fear
nervous · overwhelmed · desperate · frantic · stressed · jittery · tense · fearful · alarmed · rattled
transmission
Sending of information
engaged · disengaged · slipping · hydraulic · friction · manual · drivetrain · cable · release · shifting
clutchedreleased
Set free from confinement
let go · dropped · loosened · unclenched · relinquished
clutchedreleased
Set free from confinement
dropped · relinquished · abandoned · surrendered · let go
- clutch pedalLever separating engine from drivetrain
- clutch of eggs
- pearl clutchingPerformative moral shock
- clutch bagStrapless handheld purse
- clutch at strawsAttempt futile last resorts
- clutch playerAthlete who excels pressured