quailed

verb

past tense of quail
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
2
as in cringed
to draw back or crouch down in fearful submission brave resisters who did not quail before the tyrant's iron hand

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for quailed
  1. flinched
  2. cringed
  3. recoiled
  4. winced
Verb
  • Then the pianist flinched and the leader sprinted off the stage.
    — Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The teen in the green sweatshirt, Williams, momentarily flinched from the gunshot.
    — Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of flinched
Verb
  • Anyone who has scoured the internet for their next best audio upgrade has encountered Bose speakers, headphones, or soundbars…and likely cringed at their price tags.
    — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 6 Nov. 2026
  • When the outfits hit social media Sunday morning, many Titans fans cringed.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of cringed
Verb
  • But the risks of fame — the kind her friends at Daisy Chain Fields have won, savored and recoiled from — is settling in too.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Like his fellow revolutionaries, Jefferson recoiled from such aspects of empire, past and present.
    — Jackson Lears, Harpers Magazine, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of recoiled
Verb
  • Back on the broadcast, Nantz immediately winced and grabbed his hand.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
  • My husband walked into the room and winced as one of the women changed into a perfect re-creation of an American Girl–doll outfit (very theater kid, not his thing).
    — Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of winced
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.

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quail
quailed
quailing
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Cite this Entry

“Quailed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quailed. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

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