SHIES Synonyms: 15 Similar and Opposite Words

shies

verb

present tense third-person singular of shy

as in recoils

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for shies

Verb

Something in the liberal heart recoils in the face of righteous ruthlessness.

— David Brooks, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026
Looking through scans from his first VIBE story from back in 2012, Rocky laughs at first, then immediately recoils.

— Jeff Ihaza, VIBE.com, 2 June 2026

Definition of recoils

Verb

Warner flinches not about a birthday that is often associated with the beginning of decline.

— Dan Pompei, New York Times, 21 July 2026
Advertisement Throughout the narrative, Johnson never flinches in his portrayal of the wreck, unleashing footage of investigators approaching the car and the victims’ families.

— Jake King-Schreifels, Time, 15 May 2026

Definition of flinches

Verb

LaFleur winces, until learning the Packers were a respectable 16th in core-four performance (as measured by Expected Points Added) last season.

— Mike Sando, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026
Toxicologist Fernández has stayed in touch with his patient and still winces about how Mark feared reporting the crime to the police could reflect poorly on him professionally.

— Mattha Busby, Rolling Stone, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of winces

Verb

The proportion of people older than 65 is rising rapidly, while the working-age population that supports them shrinks.

— Venki Ramakrishnan, Scientific American, 15 Sep. 2026
For example, if a project’s budget shrinks, leaders should explore what alternative approach could still deliver the outcome and communicate clearly if the outcome itself must shift.

— Ashish Agarwal, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of shrinks

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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“Shies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shies. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of shies

verb

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