clutch
/ˈkləch/
verb
to grasp or hold with or as if with the hand or claws usually strongly, tightly, or suddenly
clench
to seek to grasp and hold
He clutched his chest and appeared to be in pain.
take seize grasp clutch snatch grab mean to get hold of by or as if by catching up with the hand. take is a general term applicable to any manner of getting something into one's possession or control. seize implies a sudden and forcible movement in getting hold of something tangible or an apprehending of something fleeting or elusive when intangible.
noun
the claws or a hand in the act of grasping or seizing firmly
an often cruel or unrelenting control, power, or possession
the act of grasping, holding, or restraining
a rabbit in the clutch of a hawk
the fell clutch of circumstance
adjective
made or done in a crucial situation
successful in a crucial situation
a clutch hit