1
as in to recoil
to draw back in fear, pain, or disgust
we quailed when the waiter unexpectedly presented us with a hindquarter of frog's legs
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quail
Verb
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Markets recoiled for a moment, then kept climbing, the Nasdaq tripling before the decade was out.
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This faith caused the neocons to recoil in from the Obama administration’s 2015 nuclear deal with Iran.
Verb
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Enervated cuteness and tryhard sincerity define a whole new wave of musicians, from Pittsburgh rockers feeble little horse to cringe-pop upcycler Worldpeace DMT to SoundCloud producer MASSI, whose songs spill with the tiny adorable detail of a toy train set.
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While some automotive enthusiasts still cringe at the mention of a continuously variable transmission, Subaru’s execution here is among the better examples in the industry.
Verb
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The story does not flinch from the realities of segregation, including the violence that the family faced moving into white neighborhoods in Fort Worth in the 1950s, but there is more hope than fear, more faith in the power of righteousness to defeat injustice, in its pages.
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Credit card APRs are still parked near record highs, after all, and rates on mortgages and many other loan products have barely flinched, meaning there are big affordability challenges for those who need to borrow money in today's landscape.
Verb
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James stretched his neck and winced.
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Throughout training this week, Bombito was seen wincing when taking tight turns and limping at times following drills.
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“Quail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quail. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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