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Young couple making out on bed

What’s The “Knee Thing” On TikTok? This Trend’s Spicy

Here, a sex therapist breaks it all down.

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The knees might not be known as the sexiest part of the body, but their reputation is getting a revamp on TikTok. The #KneeThing hashtag has over 70 million views on the app, with countless videos raving about the move and its ability to ramp up a makeout session. So, um, what is the “knee thing”? This trending foreplay technique involves one partner putting their knee between another partner’s legs and applying pressure.

“The partner giving pleasure can use their knee as a way to create pressure and sensation by grinding into their partner‘s most sensitive areas, including the genital area and inner thighs,” Shannon Chavez Qureshi, licensed psychologist and sex therapist, tells Elite Daily. “It’s so arousing because the extra friction and pressure creates stimulation on the exterior parts of the vulva, especially the clitoris.” In this case, size does matter. “The knee covers a lot of surface area of the external vulva, which can include multi-sensory points to add to the arousal response.”

Essentially, it’s dry humping with a ~twist~. Here’s the best part: Per countless TikTokers, this technique works wonders. “The knee thing hits every single time,” one user wrote. Another commented, “It’s a buildup for a SPLENDID time.”

Here are some of the best knee thing TikToks.

The knee thing is one of those IYKYK moments — but plenty of people on the app were not in the know, and they didn’t seem to understand the technique at first. Thankfully, some visual aid can go a long way. After one TikToker posted a video using her fingers to illustrate the “knee thing,” confused scrollers finally caught on.

One user replied to her post, “I would’ve been scrolling for another 20 minutes trying to understand this knee thing THANK YOU.”

Why Is The “Knee Thing” So Popular?

Per Chavez Qureshi, the “knee thing” can be a great addition to your sexual repertoire. “Anything that involves bodies and closeness is important before sex,” she explains. “Taking your time allows imagination and arousal to happen gradually rather than highs and lows in intensity, which do not last as long.”

TL;DR: Foreplay = good. “The advantage of the ‘knee thing’ is that it’s not so genital focused and helps to add variety to stimulation. It allows one to be creative without having to focus so much on the mechanics or physiology around sex,” she explains.

Of course, the catchy name — and the mystery behind it — helped this foreplay technique go viral, but it’s the efficacy of this move that has the videos and duets multiplying. Who knew knees could be so steamy?