as in wincing
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 flinching
Cole agreed, but did do some flinching.
—
Tony Baranek,
Chicago Tribune,
18 June 2026
Without flinching, the two plunged into the waves to rescue the woman.
—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
13 June 2026
Knorr and other team officials were in the room, but Stammen helped lead it without flinching.
—
Dennis Lin,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2026
The Alpha Wave acquisition suggests the Gulf’s biggest dealmakers aren’t flinching at opportunities in the US or being slowed by the war in Iran.
—
Kelsey Warner,
semafor.com,
10 Mar. 2026
Freeny absorbed the impact like Marvin Hagler, hardly flinching and brushing it off.
—
Haley Sawyer,
Oc Register,
6 Mar. 2026
Many critics are now calling out CBS for flinching rather than forcefully standing up to politically motivated intimidation.
—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
18 Feb. 2026
And Bobby’s just not flinching.
—
Alison Weinflash,
Rolling Stone,
18 Feb. 2026
The Waymo absorbs this without flinching.
—
Greg Mania,
New Yorker,
17 Feb. 2026
Tony Baranek,
Chicago Tribune,
18 June 2026
Without flinching, the two plunged into the waves to rescue the woman.
—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
13 June 2026
Knorr and other team officials were in the room, but Stammen helped lead it without flinching.
—
Dennis Lin,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2026
The Alpha Wave acquisition suggests the Gulf’s biggest dealmakers aren’t flinching at opportunities in the US or being slowed by the war in Iran.
—
Kelsey Warner,
semafor.com,
10 Mar. 2026
Freeny absorbed the impact like Marvin Hagler, hardly flinching and brushing it off.
—
Haley Sawyer,
Oc Register,
6 Mar. 2026
Many critics are now calling out CBS for flinching rather than forcefully standing up to politically motivated intimidation.
—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
18 Feb. 2026
And Bobby’s just not flinching.
—
Alison Weinflash,
Rolling Stone,
18 Feb. 2026
The Waymo absorbs this without flinching.
—
Greg Mania,
New Yorker,
17 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flinching
Verb
-
Otherwise, Makar will be wincing through pain trying to explain the unfathomable, Blackwood will be dropping F-bombs in disbelief and MacKinnon will be ducking reporters despite being the team’s best player.
-
Throughout training this week, Bombito was seen wincing when taking tight turns and limping at times following drills.
Verb
-
This is typical of Hacks, a series that constantly positions itself to do something emotionally dangerous before recoiling toward a safer version of it.
-
Coinbase’s effort, filled with little nuances and created to emulate the experience of a videogame, might have people welcoming another look rather than recoiling at seeing the spot for the 15th time in a period of just a few days.
Verb
-
More comics journalism from Life Kit Still cringing about that awkward moment?
-
Try and get through this one without cringing.
Cite this Entry
“Flinching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flinching. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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