He clenched his teeth and continued to look straight ahead. He clenched his fists in anger. She was angry and spoke quietly through clenched teeth. His jaw clenched and unclenched as he listened to the speech. She danced alone, with a rose clenched in her teeth. He was clenching a cigarette in his teeth. See More
Recent Examples on the WebThe TheraFace team also told me that the percussion attachments are particularly helpful for people who clench their jaws at night. Alexis Benveniste, Allure, 23 Aug. 2022 This step creates a lot of pressure in the entire vaginal area, which doesn’t necessarily feel great for most people but can be particularly uncomfortable or painful for people who feel tense or anxious and clench their muscles. Jessica Toscano, SELF, 26 Apr. 2022 Robbins — a former NFL defensive star who helped the New York Giants clench a 2008 victory in Super Bowl XLII — is associated with the game of football and known for his days playing on the field. Colin Warren-hicks, USA TODAY, 28 Jan. 2022 And people who are feeling stress may unknowingly tense their pelvic floor muscles — similar to people who clench their teeth in response to stress.Washington Post, 12 Feb. 2021 Collin Morikawa then ultimately sank a clutch birdie putt at the 17th hole to earn a half point in his match that ended in a tie, allowing the Americans to clench with still seven matches to go. Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 27 Sep. 2021 Fuzzy black-and-brown striped caterpillars clench long strings and inch up race boards.Washington Post, 16 July 2021 Leaders would often clench their fists while arguing that there is such a thing as too much data. Gary Shiffman, Forbes, 16 June 2021 The cards requested us to clench our fists slowly and then unfurl them at the same pace.Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2021 See More
Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Old English -clencan; akin to Old English clingan to cling