shying

verb

present participle of shy
as in flinching

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shying
  1. flinching
  2. recoiling
  3. wincing
  4. shrinking
Verb
  • The Value Of Clarity​ Clarity is the ability to answer three questions without flinching.
    — Andrew Kokes, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of flinching
Verb
  • All of these features make for a wonderfully light-recoiling shotgun.
    — Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 12 Aug. 2026
  • 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
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
  • If internal fluid pressure drops during aggressive extraction, the surrounding earth squeezes the cavern inward, permanently shrinking total storage capacity and crushing steel well casings.
    — Siddharth Misra, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026
  • That Toll Brothers vote encapsulated south Folsom’s shrinking oak woodland.
    — Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of shrinking
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.

Browse Nearby Words

shy (from or away from)
shying
shying (from or away from)
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Cite this Entry

“Shying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shying. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

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