clench

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

"One of my most frequent tics is I clench my stomach and that makes me inhale air, which means that I'm constantly bloated," Smith says.

From BBC ● Feb. 27, 2026

It makes my stomach clench and I can breathe and feel a little bit better.’

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 20, 2025

Introduced to Stallone and his family, the Pope said how much he enjoyed the actor's films, prompting a smiling Stallone to clench his fists as if ready to spar, saying, "Ready, we box."

From Reuters ● Sep. 8, 2023

I clench the clothes in my hands and wonder what she did after we were taken.

From "What the Night Sings" by Vesper Stamper

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

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

From BBC ● Nov. 9, 2023

Half a world away, Tony Goldwyn clenches his jaw in a kitted-out corporate conference room as the only honest crisis manager in the airline biz.

From New York Times ● Jan. 12, 2023

The way his phrasing clenches while he slowly rolls up the volume in his lungs — as if he’s losing his temper because we aren’t listening.

From Washington Post ● Nov. 18, 2021

Jasmine takes my hand beside me and clenches it tight.

From "King and the Dragonflies" by Kacen Callender

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

Rogers' third had the substitutes celebrating on the pitch and an airborne Emery leaping on the touchline with clenched fists.

From BBC ● May 20, 2026

Tears poured out of her eyes and she clenched her teeth to prevent herself from making a sound.

From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer

In widely shared footage of the rescue, Gerson can be seen clenching his eyes shut and tilting his head back to the sky as he embraces his son, overwhelmed with emotion.

From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026

“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

I don’t know how to make my dad smile when he looks at my report card, instead of clenching his jaw tight.

From Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff