as in to wince
to draw back in fear, pain, or disgust
there are some patients who flinch at the mere sight of a needle
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in recoil
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of flinch
Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 17 Apr. 2025
When confronted with this new, harsh reality, our state didn’t flinch.
—Wes Moore, Baltimore Sun, 12 Apr. 2025
Yes, there will be some wins, at least from an optics perspective, but especially with China neither Trump nor Xi wants to be the first to flinch.
—Chuck Jones, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
The children The New York Times spoke to did not flinch at the mortal fact at the heart of the story: That of the more than 2,200 passengers on the Titanic, more than twice as many passengers died as those who survived.
—Janet Manley, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flinch
Verb
The assistant hitting coach flinched, but held his ground.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 17 Apr. 2025
When confronted with this new, harsh reality, our state didn’t flinch.
—Wes Moore, Baltimore Sun, 12 Apr. 2025
Yes, there will be some wins, at least from an optics perspective, but especially with China neither Trump nor Xi wants to be the first to flinch.
—Chuck Jones, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
The children The New York Times spoke to did not flinch at the mortal fact at the heart of the story: That of the more than 2,200 passengers on the Titanic, more than twice as many passengers died as those who survived.
—Janet Manley, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flinch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flinch
Verb
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As the trailer depicts, the shame of his past follows him into Thunderbolts*, with the character wincing over bad press about him in the newspaper.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
2 May 2025
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Fans should be ready to wince as the 2025 Twins make hit-by-pitch history.—
Aaron Gleeman,
New York Times,
26 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Monday’s developments were greeted with grimace around town.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
7 Apr. 2025
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Monday’s developments were greeted with grimace around town.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
7 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Specifically, the recoil resulting from the merger of the two black holes 10 million years ago may explain aspects of Sgr A*'s motion seen in the present day.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2025
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The recoil is enough to knock a drone off course and may cause the operator to lose sight of the target.—
David Hambling,
Forbes,
11 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Even for some Republicans who would like to see more babies and larger families, the whole pro-natalist push is cringe in a bad way.—
Emily Brooks,
The Hill,
1 May 2025
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So managing awkwardness, or cringe, can be a major concern.—
Myisha Battle,
Time,
29 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Shuffling feet, frowns or darting eyes signal discomfort and anxiety.—
Bryan Robinson,
Forbes,
14 Jan. 2025
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Below are some of the stocks JPMorgan frowns on: Vaccine maker Novavax is rated underweight by JPMorgan analysts.—
Pia Singh,
CNBC,
13 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Racial attitudes among Dixon’s Disciples in the 1920s varied widely between a paternal tolerance of blacks (in tune with the founding beliefs of the church) to Ku Klux Klan-like racist revulsion that was widespread in its day.—
Richard D. Mahoney,
JSTOR Daily,
30 Apr. 2025
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Gradually, Amane succumbs to this hygienic world where no one has to bear the disappointment of infertility, the heartache of love or the revulsion of a partner’s eating habits.—
Madeleine Feeny,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
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In body and scowl, Paquita radiated like the Disney villain Ursula — a character also inspired by a drag queen, famed actor and performer Divine — but in spirit and heart was far from the sea-dwelling witch who stole an innocent mermaid’s voice.—
Alex Zaragoza,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Feb. 2025
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A little over an hour later, Zalatoris walked out of the scoring building with a tight scowl.—
Brody Miller,
The Athletic,
16 Mar. 2025
Noun
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One such problem is a too-common vocal style that is expressed in guttural growls, making lyrics difficult to decipher — at least for me.—
Mikal Gilmore,
Rolling Stone,
30 Mar. 2025
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Those signs, accompanied by a menacing growl and a hard stare often suggest that the dog is feeling threatened.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flinch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flinch. Accessed 15 May. 2025.
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