flinch

verb

\ ˈflinch

flinched; flinching; flinches

Definition of flinch

: to withdraw or shrink from or as if from pain : wince He flinched when he was presented with the car repair bill. also : to tense the muscles involuntarily in anticipation of discomfort I cannot help flinching when I hear the dentist's drill.

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Choose the Right Synonym for flinch

recoil, shrink, flinch, wince, blench, quail mean to draw back in fear or distaste. recoil implies a start or movement away through shock, fear, or disgust. recoiled at the suggestion of stealing shrink suggests an instinctive recoil through sensitiveness, scrupulousness, or cowardice. shrank from the unpleasant truth flinch implies a failure to endure pain or face something dangerous or frightening with resolution. faced her accusers without flinching wince suggests a slight involuntary physical reaction (such as a start or recoiling). winced in pain blench implies fainthearted flinching. stood their ground without blenching quail suggests shrinking and cowering in fear. quailed before the apparition

Examples of flinch in a Sentence

He flinched when I tapped him on the shoulder. She met danger without flinching. The bill was much higher than expected, but he paid it without flinching.

Recent Examples on the Web

Vince hardly flinches at the news that his son is gay, nor does his brother, nor do the supporting characters who populate the gym, including a comically overconfident (and lesbian) trainer named Ruby (Fortune Feimster). — Hank Stuever, chicagotribune.com, "Mindy Kaling's new sitcom is about a gay kid who never knew the inside of a closet," 7 Mar. 2018 The seventh inning marked the first time all tournament that East Ridge’s defense flinched. — Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, "Class 4A state baseball: East Ridge upsets Stillwater in semifinal thriller," 15 June 2019 Jerome Powell’s Fed shows no sign of flinching in its intent to tighten. — Spencer Jakab, WSJ, "Why Trump’s Fed Bashing Is Encouraging," 11 Oct. 2018 Woods briefly took the lead at Carnoustie last year, but the Italian never flinched, playing bogey-free to capture his first major. — Doug Ferguson, The Seattle Times, "Molinari builds 2-shot lead over Woods, Finau in Masters," 14 Apr. 2019 But the righthander did not flinch when Kapler handed him the ball. — Matt Breen, Philly.com, "Phillies beat Cardinals as Vince Velasquez, Seranthony Dominguez deliver solid showings," 17 May 2018 In the phosphorescently vivid narrative of dispossession that follows, Kushner doesn’t flinch. — Megan O’grady, New York Times, "Read Any Antisocial Novels Lately?," 10 May 2018 The candidate was seen flinching after the attack before going out of view. — Fox News, "Brazilian candidate Jair Bolsonaro stabbed during event," 6 Sep. 2018 Footage of the event, which was broadcast on live television, shows Maduro look up mid-speech, while his wife Cecilia Flores, who is standing behind him, flinches. — Emily Stewart, Vox, "Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro survives alleged drone attack in Caracas," 5 Aug. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'flinch.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.