CRINGED Synonyms: 42 Similar and Opposite Words

cringed

verb

Definition of cringed next

past tense of cringe

as in winced

to draw back in fear, pain, or disgust gruesome crime scene photos that made several jurors cringe

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in flinched

to draw back or crouch down in fearful submission the puppy cringed when his master raised the rolled-up newspaper

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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Recent Examples of cringed And the mother of Carter, a 5-year-old boy, cringed in fear when Carter (who was celebrating his birthday) was approached at a neighborhood bike park by a group of much older boys. —

Chris John Amorosino, Hartford Courant, 26 Mar. 2026 The couple cringed at the attention. —

Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Washington Post, 19 Mar. 2026 As Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe joined The View Thursday for an interview about his role in the new NBC comedy The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins, the superstar cringed when the show cued up a clip of one of his early auditions to play the boy wizard. —

Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Mar. 2026 San Jose Jazz Executive Director Brendan Rawson worked on those early indexes as a researcher and cringed at seeing some of his early graphics work from the ’90s shown on the big screen. —

Sal Pizarro, Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2026 You get cringed out when things are earnest or something, but then the music is a way to channel it. —

Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 25 Nov. 2025 During a hospital stay, Roy’s enfeebled mother fixates on the caste and religious affiliations of the doctors treating her—the sort of thing that will be familiar to anyone who has cringed at a diminished elder’s unfiltered prejudices. —

Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 3 Sep. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cringed

Verb

Forrest pushed it and winced as tear gas sprayed.

— James Verini, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
The issue became apparent at 4-4 in the third set, when Alcaraz winced after stretching for a volley and a match that had appeared a foregone conclusion spun on its axis.

— Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026