recoil

verb re·coil \ ri-ˈkȯi(-ə)l \

|Updated on: 10 Jun 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: recoil in a Sentence

Definition of recoil

recoiled; recoiling; recoils

intransitive verb

1 a : to fall back under pressure

b : to shrink back physically or emotionally

2 : to spring back to or as if to a starting point : rebound

3 obsolete : degenerate

See recoil defined for English-language learners

See recoil defined for kids

Examples of recoil in a Sentence

We recoiled in horror at the sight of his wounded arm.
He recoiled from her touch.
The rifle recoiled and bruised my shoulder.

Recent Examples of recoil from the Web

Ultimately, businesses also may recoil at the large federal budget deficits and resulting higher interest rates headed our way.

— mark zandi, Philly.com, "Corporate America loved Trump tax cuts, but the love affair may end," 25 May 2018
During a very important scene in the episode, Maeve starts to bestow self-awareness on Akane, only to have Akane recoil in pain at the very start of the process.

— kayleigh roberts, Marie Claire, "'Westworld' *Finally* Showed Us Shogun World and Revealed That Maeve Is Basically God Now," 21 May 2018
Melancon said the city wouldn’t recoil and his message was that brighter days are ahead.

— david taylor, Houston Chronicle, "Low voter turnout for Uniform elections," 6 May 2018
Non-evangelical millennials recoil from these attributes.

— nancy d. wadsworth, Vox, "The racial demons that help explain evangelical support for Trump," 30 Apr. 2018
Many teachers who might once have recoiled at becoming a battlefield medic have come around as school security measures have repeatedly failed to prevent shootings.

— Washington Post, "Teachers acquire a new skill: how to stop the bleeding," 9 Apr. 2018
The electrons around the atoms recoil from the intruder, leaving a slight positive charge surrounding it.

— chris lee, Ars Technica, "Giant atom hides its neighbors under a single-electron skirt," 7 Mar. 2018
One or two might luck to find a superstar or two among their current prospects, but the hope of that must be augmented by a scary word that might find Jeter and Sherman recoiling like vampires foisted into sunlight.

— greg cote, miamiherald, "Jeter impatient for Marlins to win? It will take bold action, but here's what he can do | Miami Herald," 18 May 2018
One woman recoiled when the reporter tried to take her picture.

— adam beam, The Courier-Journal, "Kim Davis' challenger is a man whose marriage license she denied," 18 May 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of recoil

Middle English reculen, recoilen, from Anglo-French reculer, recuiler, from re- + cul backside — more at culet

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First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

recoil Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of recoil

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

recoil

noun re·coil \ ˈrē-ˌkȯi(-ə)l , ri-ˈkȯi(-ə)l \

Definition of recoil

1 : the act or action of recoiling; especially : the kickback of a gun upon firing

2 : reaction

the recoil from the rigors of Calvinism
—Edmund Wilson

See recoil defined for English-language learners

Examples of recoil in a Sentence

The gun has a sharp recoil.

Recent Examples of recoil from the Web

When asked to explain his actions, the linebacker who crushed the quarterback, forcing him from the game with injuries to the back and knee, delivered an answer that made many recoil: his coaches told him to do it.

— ken belson, New York Times, "The Football Hit Felt All Over Japan," 22 May 2018
Related The firearms industry is marketing silencers, also known as suppressors, as hearing protection for shooters and a way to soften the recoil on guns.

— dan frosch, WSJ, "Why More Gun Owners Use Silencers," 5 May 2018
Overall, DAMA’s signal should be strongest for the very-lowest-energy recoils.

— natalie wolchover, WIRED, "Trouble Detected in Infamous Dark Matter Signal," 18 Apr. 2018
Those policy concerns are reinforcing the cultural and stylistic suburban recoil from Trump visible in both polls and the 2017 election results from Virginia to Alabama.

— ronald brownstein, CNN, "Small-town America has gotten an economic jolt under Trump," 20 Mar. 2018
Such bump-fire devices use the recoil of a semiautomatic firearm to rapidly pull the trigger, mimicking fully automatic firing.

— christal hayes, USA TODAY, "Ban bump stocks? Justice Department moves to make them illegal to own or sell," 10 Mar. 2018
This device involved a spring — basically, the recoil of the gun would compress the spring, and then the spring would push the gun back forward into the user’s trigger finger.

— aaron blake, Washington Post, "Trump is talking about doing something that might be illegal — again," 27 Feb. 2018
Miami Herald reporter Chuck Rabin tries out the simulator using a Glock pistol with a recoil kit designed to be used in simulators at the Miami-Dade police firearms training facility.

— charles rabin, miamiherald, "Even with years of training, stopping live shooter is incredibly hard, experts say | Miami Herald," 15 Mar. 2018
Bump stocks essentially modify a semi-automatic rifle to use the weapon's recoil to replicate fully automatic firing.

— ryan martin, Indianapolis Star, "Man with AR-15-style rifle outside Indianapolis Women's March: What we know," 12 Mar. 2018

First Known Use of recoil

14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

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Other Military Terms

bivouac, logistics, petard, salient, sally, supernumerary, tactical

RECOIL Defined for English Language Learners

recoil

verb

Definition of recoil for English Language Learners

: to quickly move away from something that is shocking, frightening, or disgusting : to react to something with shock or fear
of a gun : to move back suddenly when fired