clench
Americanverb (used with object)
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clenches,
present (3rd person singular)
-
clenched,
past participle, past
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clenching
present participle
verb (used without object)
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clenches,
present (3rd person singular)
-
clenched,
past participle, past
-
clenching
present participle
noun
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the act of clenching.
-
a tight hold; grip.
-
something that clenches or holds fast.
verb
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to close or squeeze together (the teeth, a fist, etc) tightly
-
to grasp or grip firmly
noun
-
a firm grasp or grip
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a device that grasps or grips, such as a clamp
noun
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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clenchsimple
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clenchessimple
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have clenchedperfect
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has clenchedperfect
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am clenchingprogressive
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are clenchingprogressive
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is clenchingprogressive
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have been clenchingperfect progressive
-
has been clenchingperfect progressive
Past
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clenchedsimple
-
had clenchedperfect
-
was clenchingprogressive
-
were clenchingprogressive
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had been clenchingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of clench
1200–50; Middle English clenchen; compare Old English beclencan hold fast
Explanation
When you clench something, you grip, press, or squeeze it. You might clench your fists when you're angry or clench your teeth when you're worried, for example. People often clench parts of their own bodies, but they can also clench other things. Your grandmother might tend to clench you in her arms when you visit her, and a toddler might clench his stuffed animal to his chest when he falls asleep at night. The Old English root of clench is beclencan, which means "to hold fast or make cling," and it has the same origins as the word cling.
Vocabulary lists containing clench
"Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" by Rudyard Kipling
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Ender's Game
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Inside Out & Back Again
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
I get up there, I’m like, smile, don’t look like you’re shaking inside, pop the hip, float your arm down, don’t clench your hand.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
"One of my most frequent tics is I clench my stomach and that makes me inhale air, which means that I'm constantly bloated," Smith says.
From BBC ● Feb. 27, 2026
I felt my heart clench, because it’s like, “Oh, there she really is.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2025
Introduced to Stallone and his family, the Pope said how much he enjoyed the actor's films, prompting a smiling Stallone to clench his fists as if ready to spar, saying, "Ready, we box."
From Reuters ● Sep. 8, 2023
A scrape and cry from nearby made her stomach clench.
From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack
Somatic workout classes, characterized by minuscule clenches and releases, have exploded in popularity as an antidote to high-intensity exercise.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 23, 2026
She clenches her fists while she sleeps, scowling with worry even while unconscious.
From New York Times ● May 10, 2024
Mercy clenches her hands and she thumps the table as she agrees.
From BBC ● Nov. 9, 2023
The way his phrasing clenches while he slowly rolls up the volume in his lungs — as if he’s losing his temper because we aren’t listening.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 18, 2021
But his jaw clenches; he turns and crosses the room to the one window.
From "Blended" by Sharon M. Draper
But in Monday’s game, the Sparks could only cling to the game with clenched fists as the gap widened.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
He plans to stay in Miami until Scotland knows its fate, and to pass the time in a much more pleasant way than watching other teams with clenched teeth.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
She celebrated with a clenched fist after a ferocious smash secured a break for a 4-1 lead.
From Barron's ● Jun. 9, 2026
Bentancur celebrated winning a first-half foul after some superb defence in his own penalty area with a clenched fist before receiving a hug from Kevin Danso.
From BBC ● May 3, 2026
“Trying,” I whispered through clenched teeth, struggling to draw in air.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
“I’ve watched hundreds of videos get trashed because Roco’s eye was twitching wrong or his jaw wasn’t clenching or the camera didn’t go all the way to the right,” said Alimzhanov.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026
Gardner’s on antianxiety drugs to help him function, and he’s started wearing a mouthguard at night because he’s been clenching his teeth in his sleep.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 18, 2025
Writing on Instagram, she said: "I have TMJ and wake most days with awful headaches from tension & jaw clenching."
From BBC ● Nov. 28, 2024
They’re clenching their fists while they’re watching this keynote.
From New York Times ● Jun. 14, 2024
Standing, shifting from foot to foot, hands clenching, unclenching.
From "Black Brother, Black Brother" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
