clasp vs taking hold

clasp and taking hold both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
clasp	Yes	No	Yes	No
taking hold	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, taking hold is a hypernym of clasp; that is, taking hold is a word with a broader meaning than clasp:

clasp: the act of grasping
taking hold: the act of gripping something firmly with the hands (or the tentacles)

Other hypernyms of clasp include grasping, prehension, seizing.

clasp (noun)	taking hold (noun)
the act of grasping	the act of gripping something firmly with the hands (or the tentacles)
a fastener (as a buckle or hook) that is used to hold two things together

clasp (verb)	taking hold (verb)
hold firmly and tightly
grasp firmly
fasten with a buckle or buckles
fasten with or as if with a brooch