- clutched at a straw
- desperately tried to achieve something, frantically searched for other options
English contemporary dictionary. 2014.
clutched at a straw
Look at other dictionaries:
grasp\ at\ a\ straw — • grasp at straws • clutch at straws v. phr. To depend on something that is useless or unable to help in a time of trouble or danger; try something with little hope of succeeding. To depend on your memory without studying for a test is to grasp… … Словарь американских идиом
Retreat from Lang Son — The Retreat from Lang Son (French: retraite de Lang Son ) was a controversial, and almost certainly unnecessary, French strategic withdrawal in Tonkin at the end of March 1885 that brought down the government of the French premier Jules Ferry and … Wikipedia
clutch — I UK [klʌtʃ] / US verb Word forms clutch : present tense I/you/we/they clutch he/she/it clutches present participle clutching past tense clutched past participle clutched ** a) [transitive] to hold someone or something firmly, for example because … English dictionary
clutch — I n. device for engaging and disengaging a transmission 1) to engage, throw in the clutch ( to release the clutch pedal ) 2) to work the clutch 3) to disengage the clutch ( to depress the clutch pedal ) 4) to ride the clutch ( to keep the clutch… … Combinatory dictionary
clutch — clutch1 [ klʌtʃ ] verb ** transitive to hold someone or something firmly, for example because you are afraid or in pain, or do not want to lose them: Women clutched small children as they left. a. intransitive clutch at to try to take hold of… … Usage of the words and phrases in modern English
Joe Masseria — Giuseppe Joe The Boss Masseria (c. 1887 ndash;April 15, 1931) was an early Mafia don in the United States.Early daysMasseria was born in Castellammare del Golfo, Sicily. After immigrating to the United States in 1903 to avoid murder charges in… … Wikipedia
Omar Khadr — Omar Ahmed Khadr Khadr at the age of 14 Born September 19, 1986 (1986 09 19) (age 25) Toronto, Ontario, Canada … Wikipedia
Tarantula — Taxobox name = Tarantulas image width = 240px image caption = Mexican Red knee Tarantula regnum = Animalia phylum = Arthropoda classis = Arachnida ordo = Araneae subordo = Mygalomorphae superfamilia = Theraphosoidea familia = Theraphosidae… … Wikipedia
clutch — [[t]klʌ̱tʃ[/t]] clutches, clutching, clutched 1) VERB If you clutch at something or clutch something, you hold it tightly, usually because you are afraid or anxious. [V at n] I staggered and had to clutch at a chair for support... [V n] She was… … English dictionary
hold — vb 1 hold back, withhold, reserve, detain, retain, *keep, keep back, keep out Analogous words: *restrain, inhibit, curb, check: preserve, conserve, *save Contrasted words: *relinquish, surrender, abandon, resign, yield 2 … New Dictionary of Synonyms
