unclench

verb

Definition of unclenchnext
as in to unfurl

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of unclench 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 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 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
  1. unfurl
  2. unbutton
  3. unzip
  4. unfasten
  5. unfold
  6. unlatch
Verb
  • When the rain cleared, an American flag that covered most of the outfield was unfurled during the national anthem, and the fog slowly crept in.
    — Andy Martinez, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026
  • Set aside for the day other competing symbols, pause life’s other priorities for a moment, and unfurl the Stars and Stripes, the emblem of our nation’s unity, and reflect on the birth of the United States.
    — Letters to the Editor, Washington Post, 3 July 2026
Definition of unfurl
Verb
  • 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
Definition of unbutton
Verb
  • Under pressure, the module could unzip and fail completely.
    — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 15 June 2026
  • The robot could adapt the size of its legs either by zipping for height or unzipping for lowering down, which could be beneficial for the robot to manage exploring uneven surfaces such as forest areas or canyons.
    — Shirl Leigh May 22, New Atlas, 22 May 2026
Definition of unzip
Verb
  • Transforming the cabin from sitting to sleeping is a group effort that includes unpacking the ladder (usually stowed beneath the seats with the luggage), unfastening the upper bunks, and making the beds.
    — Emily Manthei, Travel + Leisure, 10 May 2026
  • After the pink fabric is unfastened from styrofoam beams floating 200 feet out from each island, the sections are towed to shore and rolled up in bundles, Morgan said.
    — Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2026
Definition of unfasten
Verb
  • Cloud cover prevented a California Highway Patrol helicopter from reaching the injured climber directly, forcing the rescue to unfold in stages.
    — Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026
  • Hours later, as the bodies of the children were being handed over to their families, scenes of anguish unfolded outside hospitals and in the neighborhood on the outskirts of Lahore where the private tutoring center was located in a house.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 1 July 2026
Definition of unfold
Verb
  • Throughout the day, anyone can unlatch the box, pick up a trinket and hopefully leave one behind to share.
    — Olivia Wakim, AJC.com, 4 May 2026
  • 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
Definition of unlatch

Browse Nearby Words

uncleared
unclench
unclenched
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unclench.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unclench. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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