How to Use trapezius in a Sentence

trapezius

noun
  • Place the ball at the top of your trapezius, the upper back muscle, and lean into the wall.
    — Kelly Dinardo New York Times, Star Tribune, 21 Aug. 2020
  • This targets the upper trapezius muscle on the outside of your neck.
    — Perri O. Blumberg, Men's Health, 31 Aug. 2022
  • Make sure that the trapezius muscles (the muscles of the upper back/neck) are not hunching up towards your ears.
    — Stephanie Mansour, NBC News, 29 Feb. 2020
  • The trapezius, deltoid, tricep, and bicep muscles were poppin’, and so was her smile.
    — Victoria Uwumarogie, Essence, 2 Apr. 2025
  • And there are also the ones that attach to the scapula (shoulder blades), including your rhomboids and trapezius.
    — Elizabeth Millard, Cpt, SELF, 19 Nov. 2024
  • Lynn, sidelined since April 17 because of a right trapezius strain, allowed four hits and struck out a season-low two.
    — Sarah Trotto, Star Tribune, 1 May 2021
  • The trapezius is a large muscle that runs across the back of your neck and upper back and assists with shoulder motion and mobility.
    — Jenny McCoy, SELF, 16 Sep. 2022
  • Shrugging your shoulders too much will incorrectly stress your trapezius (a major muscle in your upper back and neck).
    — Jenny McCoy, SELF, 30 Apr. 2018
  • And your lower trapezius muscles weaken and strain against the upward pull, leading to backaches and pain around the scapulae.
    — Dana Santas, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2025
  • The latissimus dorsi and lower trapezius also aid in maintaining good posture.
    — Katrina Carter, Verywell Health, 13 Feb. 2025
  • The Half Of It, without much disruption — just some hurts-so-good relief in my trapezius muscles.
    — Karina Hoshikawa, refinery29.com, 5 May 2020
  • This drill works core stability while engaging the upper trapezius and neck muscles, and lengthening the spine.
    — Jen Murphy, WSJ, 10 July 2021
  • Deadlifts also strengthen muscles that attach to your shoulders, such as the upper trapezius and latissimus dorsi.
    — Laura Campedelli, Verywell Health, 13 Aug. 2024
  • Focus on engaging your lats, core, and the backs of your shoulders, instead of relying on the upper trapezius or elbow flexors.
    — Esther Smith, Outside Online, 9 Sep. 2022
  • Patients are asking to have Botox injected in their trapezius muscles, in the hopes of reducing pain and achieving longer-looking necks.
    — Adrienne Matei, WSJ, 29 Aug. 2023
  • Collectively known as the posterior chain, this group of muscles runs from the bottom of the skull to the heels and includes the hamstrings, calves, lats, trapezius and glutes.
    — Jen Murphy, WSJ, 11 Dec. 2021
  • That changed when the decision was made to scratch Nate Eovaldi from his start Thursday because of a sore trapezius muscle.
    — Peter Abraham, BostonGlobe.com, 17 Aug. 2022
  • The result looks a bit like the internet sensation the Crooked Man, who exercises his left trapezius and nothing else.
    — Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
  • The muscles that support the shoulders, including the rhomboids, trapezius, and deltoids, are a lot smaller than the quads and hamstrings, the big muscles that stabilize the knee joint.
    — Jen Murphy, WSJ, 15 Jan. 2022
  • And Jhoan Duran pitched Saturday, Hassan said, and is making progress from a strain in the trapezius muscle of his shoulder.
    — Phil Miller, Star Tribune, 2 May 2021
  • The exercise primarily targets back muscles such as the rhomboids and trapezius and posterior deltoids.
    — Ben Walker, Outside Online, 28 Aug. 2020
  • Deadlifts already work the posterior chain, or the muscles at the rear of the body like the hamstrings, gluteus maximus, trapezius, posterior deltoids, and erector spinae.
    — Leah Prinzivalli, SELF, 5 Dec. 2018
  • When he was born, Heydorn had part of his trapezius removed after he was diagnosed with cystic hygroma and spinal stenosis, which eventually required more surgery.
    — Bob Narang, chicagotribune.com, 14 May 2021
  • Face Pulls Face pulls target your upper back muscles, including your rhomboid muscles, while reducing tension in your upper trapezius muscles.
    — Jakob Roze, Health, 17 Dec. 2024
  • The trapezius muscle stabilizes, elevates, depresses, retracts and rotates the scapula (shoulder blade).
    — Amy Marturana Winderl, SELF, 26 Jan. 2022
  • These include your rhomboids (an upper back muscle that connects your shoulder blades to your rib cage), mid- to lower-trapezius (the muscles across the back of your neck and upper back), and your rear deltoids (the back of your shoulders).
    — Christa Sgobba, SELF, 18 Oct. 2020
  • These include alleviating neck and shoulder tension, muscles spasms, migraines and trapezius hypertrophy, or enlargement of the traps.
    — USA TODAY, 2 Aug. 2023
  • This non-electric, sustainable pick is made with beechwood and ergonomically shaped to target different points on the body, including the trapezius and shoulder muscles, as well as the lower back.
    — Braelyn Wood, Health.com, 1 June 2020
  • Milwaukee was playing down two outfielders with Ryan Braun being given the night off and Domingo Santana a late scratch due to right trapezius tightness.
    — Todd Rosiak, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 13 Sep. 2017
  • Threw five gutsy innings in Game 7 of the 2019 World Series after overcoming painful spasms in his neck and upper right trapezius.
    — Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'trapezius.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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