Example:
"I'm not in the mood for jokes," she said, […] her fork and looking
at her plate again.
So in the example, the person was already holding the fork.
The two words that come to my mind are grip and clutch. I'm not sure, though, if they imply taking the thing first:
grip
take and keep a firm hold of; grasp tightly.clutch
grasp (something) tightly.grasp
seize and hold firmly.
Source: Google.
Is there a better word? Or I can use one of the options above? (Maybe one of the doesn't imply to take or seize so much?)
Best Answer
If you want to convey the idea that she is in a bad mood and that during the conversation she has become more tensed (and as a result of this she has strengthened her grip on her fork), perhaps you can say: