The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word LOCKJAW
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
L
O
C
K
J
A
W
More clues leading to the result LOCKJAW
- For Spooner, maybe Scottish legislation might be a cause of speech impediment
- Muscle tightening in rugby player, long conversation ensuing?
- Poor Jack is in depressed condition
- Disease got from hair on rabbit
- Secure shark briefly showing disease
- Infection resulting from Spooner’s Scottish legislation?
- To engage with conversation is difficult with this
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Muscle tightening" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case muscle tightening = lockjaw.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does LOCKJAW mean?
LOCKJAW noun- A spasmodic, nervous system disease brought on by the tetanus bacteria. It causes muscles to seize up and may cause death by suffocation.