as in cringes
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 flinches
Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Aug. 2025
Months later, Anderson, 50, still avoids crowds, doesn’t go out after dark and flinches when the doorbell rings.
—USA Today, 7 Aug. 2025
Noun
Bingo momentarily flinches, and Atlas rolls onto his back in response.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Aug. 2025
Months later, Anderson, 50, still avoids crowds, doesn’t go out after dark and flinches when the doorbell rings.
—USA Today, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flinches
Verb
-
Lina winces at the sound of Jaya munching on an apple, made worse by the static on the line.—
Hazlitt,
Hazlitt,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
There's room for laughs amid the tears and smiles amid the frowns.—
David Oliver,
USA Today,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Over the course of an hour, a virtuosic guitarist, a singer, and three dancers performed a program of mournful music and percussive dance, their faces set in serious frowns—an integral part of the performance.—
Fiona Mozley,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Payton cringes at the mention of a sophomore slump, that defenses will figure out Nix.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
6 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Before this high achiever entered La Mer’s roster of offerings, its lip category consisted only of The Lip Balm, The Lip Polish, and The Lip Volumizer — all geared towards nourishing, restoring, and, in case of the latter, treating pouts to buildable color.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
6 Oct. 2025
-
While Shrek pouts about missing his solo ogre days, the dastardly Rumpelstiltskin takes advantage, offering him a contract to relive that romanticized time in his life — for a day.—
Skyler Trepel September 1,
EW.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
For instance, close follow-up lowers hospital readmission rates and helps prevent adverse events.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
-
With a rate cut, the prime rate lowers, too, and the interest rate on your credit card debt is likely to follow.—
Jessica Dickler,
CNBC,
17 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flinches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flinches. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.
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