1
as in winced
to draw back in fear, pain, or disgust
gruesome crime scene photos that made several jurors cringe
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of cringed
For a decade, viewers have cringed at Amanda Batula and Kyle Cooke’s rocky relationship, the dénouement of which is currently playing out on season ten of Summer House.
—
Rebecca Jennings, Vulture, 1 Apr. 2026
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
Rebecca Jennings, Vulture, 1 Apr. 2026
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
-
Internally, some employees winced as the prices of some chips surpassed $7.—
Wire TBD,
Dallas Morning News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Internally, some employees winced as the prices of some chips surpassed $7.—
Bloomberg,
Oc Register,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Gorajski flinched and ducked out of the way like Cisek was an incoming meteor.—
Tony Baranek,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Her coach never flinched, as Kara Lawson basked in the joy of winning such a big game in a city that has embraced her.—
Joe Davidson
March 27,
Sacbee.com,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Investors recoiled out of fears of an endless quagmire.—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
2 Apr. 2026
-
When Paramount debuted a first look at the film in 2019, online commentators recoiled at the speedy hedgehog’s human teeth and odd facial features.—
Angelique Jackson,
Variety,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
One of the dogs ran off while the other cowered under a vehicle parked in the resident’s driveway.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
16 Apr. 2026
-
On a night there was something tangible to play for — which might not be the case in the three remaining regular-season games — Erik Spoelstra’s team cowered in the moment, with a 17-point deficit before halftime, a gap that would grow to 27, in what turned into a 121-95 loss at Scotiabank Arena.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cringed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cringed. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
