Clutch has several meanings. As a verb, it means to grab or hold something tightly, often suddenly or desperately: “She clutched the rope as she swung across the stream.”

As a noun, a clutch can be a tight grip (“He kept a clutch on his backpack”), a group of eggs that a bird sits on to hatch, or the baby chicks that come from those eggs. In cars, the clutch is a pedal and mechanism that helps change gears.

As an adjective in everyday speech, clutch describes someone who performs their best when the pressure is highest. A clutch basketball player sinks the winning shot with seconds left on the clock. Being clutch means staying calm and focused when everyone's watching, delivering your best performance exactly when it matters most.