SHYING Synonyms: 15 Similar and Opposite Words

shying

verb

present participle of shy

as in flinching

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for shying

Verb

Amy Adams’ Anna Bowden — who has a complicated history with Max as his former lawyer — peeks through the curtain to spy on him, flinching as Max insists on snapping his own broken finger into place.

— Benjamin VanHoose, PEOPLE, 6 July 2026
Cole agreed, but did do some flinching.

— Tony Baranek, Chicago Tribune, 18 June 2026

Definition of flinching

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.

— Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 29 May 2026
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.

— Brian Steinberg, Variety, 12 Mar. 2026

Definition of recoiling

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.

— Troy Renck, Denver Post, 11 June 2026
Throughout training this week, Bombito was seen wincing when taking tight turns and limping at times following drills.

— Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 11 June 2026

Definition of wincing

Verb

Dominican hospitality does not come from shrinking itself to make visitors comfortable.

— Rafael Peña, Miami Herald, 15 July 2026
In 2019, when the Fed was shrinking its balance sheet, the cushion of reserves available in the banking system dropped, leading to a spike in overnight lending rates that forced the central bank to step in and add liquidity back into markets.

— Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 14 July 2026

Definition of shrinking

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“Shying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shying. Accessed 21 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of shying

verb

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