as in flinched
to draw back in fear, pain, or disgust
the social worker tried not to recoil from the sight of the cockroach in the bathtub
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Recent Examples of recoiled
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
Football fans needed time to accommodate themselves to Patrick Mahomes’s sidearm throws, as did the baseball fans who at first recoiled from Hideo Nomo’s tornado windup.
—Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 25 Dec. 2025
Both Fiennes and Fassbender delivered turns that critics deemed essential; both played characters so morally repugnant that voters may have recoiled from endorsing them.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 18 Dec. 2025
Blazy, a Parisian born and bred, recoiled from the claim.
—Nathan Heller, Vogue, 14 Oct. 2025
Some recoiled at the launch and others quit their positions.
—Nick Penzenstadler, USA Today, 25 Sep. 2025
Videos recorded by witnesses at the Utah Valley University event showed Kirk being shot in the neck and bleeding heavily as his body recoiled.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
Markets recoiled, and in just one week the S&P 500 plunged more than 12 percent while both Value and Growth stocks suffered double-digit percentage losses.
—John Buckingham, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
But the abruptness of the changes spooked longtime staff, who understandably recoiled at the implication that critics are the same as regular beat reporters.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Sarah Lindenfeld Hall, Popular Science, 7 Jan. 2026
Football fans needed time to accommodate themselves to Patrick Mahomes’s sidearm throws, as did the baseball fans who at first recoiled from Hideo Nomo’s tornado windup.
—Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 25 Dec. 2025
Both Fiennes and Fassbender delivered turns that critics deemed essential; both played characters so morally repugnant that voters may have recoiled from endorsing them.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 18 Dec. 2025
Blazy, a Parisian born and bred, recoiled from the claim.
—Nathan Heller, Vogue, 14 Oct. 2025
Some recoiled at the launch and others quit their positions.
—Nick Penzenstadler, USA Today, 25 Sep. 2025
Videos recorded by witnesses at the Utah Valley University event showed Kirk being shot in the neck and bleeding heavily as his body recoiled.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
Markets recoiled, and in just one week the S&P 500 plunged more than 12 percent while both Value and Growth stocks suffered double-digit percentage losses.
—John Buckingham, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
But the abruptness of the changes spooked longtime staff, who understandably recoiled at the implication that critics are the same as regular beat reporters.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for recoiled
Verb
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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
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That said, the Pioneers haven’t flinched this season without him.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
29 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Evans winced in pain, limped to the bench and did not even consider stopping there, making his way straight to the Canadiens’ dressing room and barely putting any weight on his right leg.—
Arpon Basu,
New York Times,
21 Dec. 2025
-
Even some on the right have winced at the politics.—
Newsweek Editors,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Host Jimmy Fallon visibly cringed in response.—
Emlyn Travis,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Jan. 2026
-
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
“Recoiled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/recoiled. Accessed 21 Jan. 2026.
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