1
as in flinched
to draw back in fear, pain, or disgust
we quailed when the waiter unexpectedly presented us with a hindquarter of frog's legs
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quailed
Verb
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But as his show became a pop culture punchline and an enduring ratings force, Povich says the person closest to him never flinched.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
28 Jan. 2026 -
Adi flinched but passed it to him.—
Jonathan Miles,
Harpers Magazine,
27 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
Verb
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Brendan Mcdermid | Reuters Software stocks on Thursday slid deeper into an ongoing intense sell-off this year as investors recoiled from the sector on growing fears that artificial intelligence could upend many firms' business models.—
Yun Li,
CNBC,
29 Jan. 2026
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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
Verb
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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
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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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Cite this Entry
“Quailed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quailed. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
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