clench

And because the jaw and the nervous system are so closely linked through the major cranial nerves, our muscles are triggered and we clench and grind our teeth.

From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026

Faces clench before pivotal moments of conflict on stage.

From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026

I get up there, I’m like, smile, don’t look like you’re shaking inside, pop the hip, float your arm down, don’t clench your hand.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026

It starts around 6:45 a.m. — a faint, faraway boom, followed by a low growl that makes my stomach tighten and hands clench.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 15, 2023

My fists clench with the strength of an army ten thousand strong, hopes flying sky-high, anxiety drowning in my chest.

From "Like Vanessa" by Tami Charles

Somatic workout classes, characterized by minuscule clenches and releases, have exploded in popularity as an antidote to high-intensity exercise.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 23, 2026

It’s like the face that Dorothy makes when she clenches her eyes shut and clicks her ruby red slippers to transport herself home.

From Slate ● May 12, 2024

Mercy clenches her hands and she thumps the table as she agrees.

From BBC ● Nov. 9, 2023

But onstage, singing any of a couple dozen songs about wounds and what it takes to lick them, he clenches tight, as if determined to lift an unusually heavy barbell, and nailing it.

From New York Times ● Sep. 22, 2022

She clenches her hands into fists and almost spits at me, “Don’t you dare.”

From "Allegiant" by Veronica Roth

No wonder Jaissle clenched his fists on the touchline after Hornicek got a strong hand behind Jan Paul van Hecke's header.

From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026

Ms. Porcaroli exhibits a clenched devotion to playing her lines perfectly straight; the script would be insufferable if she tried to be cute or funny.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026

But in Monday’s game, the Sparks could only cling to the game with clenched fists as the gap widened.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026

She celebrated with a clenched fist after a ferocious smash secured a break for a 4-1 lead.

From Barron's ● Jun. 9, 2026

Seven ran, standing directly in their path, fists clenched in anger.

From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega

“I’ve watched hundreds of videos get trashed because Roco’s eye was twitching wrong or his jaw wasn’t clenching or the camera didn’t go all the way to the right,” said Alimzhanov.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026

Gardner’s on antianxiety drugs to help him function, and he’s started wearing a mouthguard at night because he’s been clenching his teeth in his sleep.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 18, 2025

They’re clenching their fists while they’re watching this keynote.

From New York Times ● Jun. 14, 2024

As a star player in the '60s and '70s, Simpson was eventually inducted into the Football Hall of Fame, clenching the title as one of the greatest running backs of all time.

From Salon ● Apr. 11, 2024

She turned and waved at me, and I waved back, even though my stomach was clenching.

From "Keep It Together, Keiko Carter" by Debbi Michiko Florence