1. to hold something tightly with your hand or arms

1. a tight hold or grip
2. a mechanism in a vehicle that connects and disconnects the engine from the transmission
3. a group of eggs laid by a bird at one time

1. performed under pressure in a crucial situation
Usage: informal

Examples

• She clutched her purse tightly as she walked through the crowd.
• The baby bird fell from the clutch in the nest.
• He pressed the clutch pedal before shifting gears.
• The quarterback made a clutch throw in the final seconds.
• She carried a small black clutch to the formal dinner.
• His clutch on the rope loosened as he grew tired.
• The hen sat protectively over her clutch of six eggs.
• That was a clutch performance when the team needed it most.