as in winced
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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Recent Examples of flinched
His comment shouldn’t be interpreted as a postgame shot at an overwhelmed Red Raiders offense and, everything considered, his vaunted defense’s performance hardly resembled a unit that flinched at the challenges.
—
Shawn McFarland, Dallas Morning News, 1 Jan. 2026
That said, the Pioneers haven’t flinched this season without him.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 29 Nov. 2025
Sharen Gibson, 72, never flinched.
—Barbara Bry, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Oct. 2025
But none of the band members ever flinched over the divide that formed over their pre- and post-Vheissu sound.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2025
These images of an expanding Kong appeared on the screen and the actors on stage in front of it flinched in horror as the dwarfing image of Kong’s bigness loomed menacingly behind them.
—Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 10 Sep. 2025
The last time Congress faced a deadline to extend government funding, Senate Democrats flinched, giving Republicans the votes needed to avert a government shutdown without extracting any concessions.
—Nik Popli, Time, 4 Sep. 2025
Shawn McFarland, Dallas Morning News, 1 Jan. 2026
That said, the Pioneers haven’t flinched this season without him.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 29 Nov. 2025
Sharen Gibson, 72, never flinched.
—Barbara Bry, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Oct. 2025
But none of the band members ever flinched over the divide that formed over their pre- and post-Vheissu sound.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2025
These images of an expanding Kong appeared on the screen and the actors on stage in front of it flinched in horror as the dwarfing image of Kong’s bigness loomed menacingly behind them.
—Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 10 Sep. 2025
The last time Congress faced a deadline to extend government funding, Senate Democrats flinched, giving Republicans the votes needed to avert a government shutdown without extracting any concessions.
—Nik Popli, Time, 4 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flinched
Verb
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The hard-drinking, hyper-sensitive Fitzgerald himself would have winced at any of the five adaptations of The Great Gatsby.—
Peter Bart,
Deadline,
22 Jan. 2026
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Charleigh inwardly winced and froze in place, hand still on the knob.—
Lizz Schumer,
PEOPLE,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The citizenry has broadly recoiled; her killing, in addition to being a human tragedy, has been a public relations disaster for the administration.—
Michelle Goldberg,
Mercury News,
20 Jan. 2026
-
Generations of scientists, perhaps all with Great Aunt Mildreds who recoiled at the noise, have looked into whether cracking truly bad for our joints or overall health.—
Sarah Lindenfeld Hall,
Popular Science,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Host Jimmy Fallon visibly cringed in response.—
Emlyn Travis,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Jan. 2026
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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
Cite this Entry
“Flinched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flinched. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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