Meanings
verbunclench (third-person singular simple present unclenches, present participle unclenching, simple past and past participle unclenched)
present singular third person unclenches · participle present unclenching · participle past unclenched · past unclenched
- transitiveTo open (something that was clenched).
The baby stopped crying and unclenched her fists.
1 more example
I watched her clench and unclench her fists nervously.
2019, Candice Carty-Williams, Queenie, Trapeze, page 330
Origin
- Middle Englishunclenchen
- Englishunclench
From Middle English unclenchen, equivalent to un- + clench.
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Finnish löysätä
- löysätäto open something that was clenched
Russian разжима́ть, разжа́ть
- разжима́ть (razžimátʹ)to open something that was clenched
- разжа́ть (razžátʹ)to open something that was clenched
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with unclench
frenchbenchwrenchtrenchworkbenchstenchquenchmenschdenchdrenchtenchclenchentrenchhenchretrenchbentshblenchdog bone wrenchkenchnut wrenchpardon my Frenchring wrenchscrew wrench
All rhymes →Cite this entry
APA
unclench. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/unclench
MLA
“unclench.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/unclench. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “unclench,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/unclench.
Source: unclench on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.