clutch vs wring

clutch

verb
  • To grip or grasp tightly. 

  • To unexpectedly or luckily succeed in a difficult activity. 

  • To hatch. 

  • To seize, as though with claws. 

  • To win in a 1vX (one versus X) situation. 

noun
  • The claw of a predatory animal or bird. 

  • An important or critical situation. 

  • A brood of chickens or a sitting of eggs. 

  • A device to interrupt power transmission, commonly used to separate the engine and gearbox in a car. 

  • A fastener that attaches to the back of a tack pin to secure an accessory to clothing. (See Clutch (pin fastener).) 

  • A small handbag or purse with no straps or handle. 

  • A group or bunch (of people or things). 

  • Any device for gripping an object, as at the end of a chain or tackle. 

  • A grip, especially one seen as rapacious or evil. 

  • The pedal in a car that disengages power and torque transmission from the engine (through the drivetrain) to the drive wheels. 

  • A difficult maneuver 

adj
  • Performing or tending to perform well in difficult, high-pressure situations. 

wring

verb
  • To hold (something) tightly and press or twist. 

  • To slide two ultraflat surfaces together such that their faces bond. 

  • To bend or strain out of its position. 

  • To squeeze or twist (something) tightly so that liquid is forced out. See also wring out. 

  • To extract (a liquid) from something wet, especially cloth, by squeezing and twisting it. 

  • To obtain (something from or out of someone or something) by force. 

  • To draw (something from or out of someone); to generate (something) as a response. 

  • To cause pain or distress to (someone / one's heart, soul, etc.). 

noun
  • A powerful squeezing or twisting action. 

How often have the words clutch and wring occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )