MEANING
To close or tighten a hand, jaw, or similar part firmly.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- clench a fist
- clench one's jaw
On the page
She clenched her jaw before answering.
Word forms
- Base
- clench
- Past tense
- clenched
- Past participle
- clenched
- Present participle
- clenching
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- clench
- Present continuous
- am/is/are clenching
- Present perfect
- have/has clenched
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been clenching
- Past
- clenched
- Past continuous
- was/were clenching
- Past perfect
- had clenched
- Past perfect continuous
- had been clenching
- Future
- will clench
- Future continuous
- will be clenching
- Future perfect
- will have clenched
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been clenching
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: literary / elevated general. Forms: clench; clenches; clenched; clenched; clenching Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: description, character, dialogue. Commonness: moderately common. Third-person singular: clenches.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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