clutch (redirected from clutching)

A drowning man will clutch at a straw.

Prov. When you are desperate, you will look for anything that might help you, even if it cannot help you very much. Scott thinks this faith healer will cure his baldness. A drowning man will clutch at a straw.

See also: drown, man, straw

clutch (up)

to become very tense and anxious; to freeze with anxiety. I have been known to clutch before a big game. Just relax, play your game, and you won't clutch!

clutch someone or something to something

to grasp and hold someone or something to something. She clutched the baby to her bosom. Lee clutched the ice pack to his head.

clutch at someone or something

to grasp at or grab for someone or something. He clutched at the roots of the trees along the bank, but the flood swept him away. Karen clutched at me, but lost her grip.

clutch at straws

Fig. to continue to seek solutions, ideas, or hopes that are insubstantial. When you talk of cashing in quick on your inventions, you are just clutching at straws. That is not a real solution to the problem. You are just clutching at straws.

See also: straw

grasping at straws

Fig. to depend on something that is useless; to make a futile attempt at something. John couldn't answer the teacher's question. He was just grasping at straws. There I was, grasping at straws, with no one to help me.

See also: straw

in(to) someone's clutches

Fig. in the control of someone who has power or authority over someone else. Snow White fell into the clutches of the evil witch. Once you're in my clutches, I'll ruin you.

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clutch/grasp at straws 

1. to try any method, even those that are not likely to succeed, because you are in such a bad situation (usually in continuous tenses) He's hoping that this new treatment will help him but I think he's clutching at straws.

2. to try to find reasons to feel hopeful about a situation when there is no real cause for hope (usually in continuous tenses) She thinks he might still be interested because he calls her now and then but I think she's clutching at straws.

See also: straw

fall into somebody's clutches

to become influenced or controlled by someone who is likely to use their power in a bad way He fell into the clutches of a nationalist terrorist group. There were fears that the weapons might fall into the enemy's clutches.

See also: fall

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grasping at straws also clutching at straws

1. trying to find some way to succeed when nothing you choose is likely to work Jerry, grasping at straws, searched the backup tapes from last week, looking for the missing files.

2. trying to find reasons to feel hopeful about a bad situation She thinks he might still be interested because he calls her now and then but I think she's clutching at straws.

See also: straw