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Recent Examples of unclench
The tempo remains steady, but takes on a softer, more contemplative posture, as if urging you to unclench your jaw.
—
Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 24 Feb. 2026
Also, unclench your butt. Take some big, deep breaths throughout the day to soften your pelvic floor muscles; then work on stretching with a deep squat or yoga poses like child's pose or happy baby pose.
—Marielle Segarra, NPR, 26 June 2025
Your stiff limbs begin to unclench, as if death is slowly losing its hold on you.
—Outside Online, 19 Feb. 2025
If that doesn’t work, unclench your eyes, re-close them in the regular way, and then go back to sleep at a normal speed.
—Ian Frazier, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024
But first: Close your eyes, take a deep breath, unclench your jaw and roll your shoulders.
—Laura L. Davis, USA TODAY, 15 Aug. 2023
CEOs could finally unclench, at least a little.
—Geoff Colvin, Fortune, 27 Apr. 2022
For those who are vaccinated, relatively healthy, financially stable and with access to decent health care, there’s reason to unclench your jaw.
—Washington Post, 19 Apr. 2022
Without such attention to Indian-Pakistani relations, India's democracy will not prosper and Pakistan's generals will never unclench their fists.
—Christophe Jaffrelot, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2011
Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 24 Feb. 2026
Also, unclench your butt. Take some big, deep breaths throughout the day to soften your pelvic floor muscles; then work on stretching with a deep squat or yoga poses like child's pose or happy baby pose.
—Marielle Segarra, NPR, 26 June 2025
Your stiff limbs begin to unclench, as if death is slowly losing its hold on you.
—Outside Online, 19 Feb. 2025
If that doesn’t work, unclench your eyes, re-close them in the regular way, and then go back to sleep at a normal speed.
—Ian Frazier, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024
But first: Close your eyes, take a deep breath, unclench your jaw and roll your shoulders.
—Laura L. Davis, USA TODAY, 15 Aug. 2023
CEOs could finally unclench, at least a little.
—Geoff Colvin, Fortune, 27 Apr. 2022
For those who are vaccinated, relatively healthy, financially stable and with access to decent health care, there’s reason to unclench your jaw.
—Washington Post, 19 Apr. 2022
Without such attention to Indian-Pakistani relations, India's democracy will not prosper and Pakistan's generals will never unclench their fists.
—Christophe Jaffrelot, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2011
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unclench
Verb
-
On Friday, hundreds of Kurds carried flames in a procession up the mountain under purple-black storm clouds, leaving the burning burlap torches lighting the darkness next to a giant Kurdish flag unfurled by the path.—
Jane Arraf,
NPR,
21 Mar. 2026
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Witness the most monstrous of monster transformations, one that cemented Rick Baker’s legacy and earned him his first Academy Award, unfurl on the big screen before your very eyes.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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It can be worn buttoned or unbuttoned with a tank top underneath and slacks at the office, unbuttoned over a maxi dress to cookouts, or as a swimsuit cover-up poolside.—
Clint Davis,
People.com,
24 June 2025
-
It can be worn buttoned or unbuttoned over a summer tank top, and the slim collar and rolled sleeves add a pop of texture to its simple design.—
Caley Sturgill,
Southern Living,
24 May 2025
Verb
-
Then, unzip the mattress on all three sides and start filling it with each layer.—
Kristi Kellogg,
Architectural Digest,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Only a goddess of love can unzip her.—
Jasmine Vojdani,
Vulture,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
If your button-down outfit is in need of a little spice, a quick trick is to unfasten the top and slip out a single shoulder.—
Sri Rain Stewart,
InStyle,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Skinny Pedro unfastened his seat belt and turned his seat around to face me.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Appeals court proceedings unfold largely out of public view and are unlikely to surface new evidence, instead focusing on narrow legal questions about the president’s appointment authority and prosecutorial power.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Every scene plays out as the most generic version of itself — unfolding along preset story beats and against plain desert backdrops rather than growing organically from specific individuals in a specific setting.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Well, technically in person: Shelley leaves the door ajar but doesn’t unlatch it, so Aggie has to plead her case through the crack.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
13 Nov. 2025
-
Raven is ever attentive to the imaging of the West as a kind of battleground, where surveillance (and the camera’s inexorable links to the military apparatus) tussles with sentimentality in a centuries-long project from which the national psyche cannot seem to unlatch.—
Anne Reeve,
Artforum,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unclench.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unclench. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
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