1
2
as in to distort
to twist (something) out of a natural or normal shape or condition
squinched up her eyes in disgust
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to flinch
to draw back in fear, pain, or disgust
didn't squinch a bit when the intruder pulled a knife on him
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of squinch
Judith H. Dobrzynski, WSJ, 4 May 2018
Here, she's added parted lips, slightly sucked-in cheeks, and a subtle chin tilt on top of her master squinch.
—Chelsea Peng, Marie Claire, 1 Oct. 2015
Mary Carole McCauley, baltimoresun.com, 18 Jan. 2022
To deepen the illusion that life is just one big fashion spread, we've been trained to 1) smize, 2) duck face, 3) squinch, and now, 4) fish gape.
—Chelsea Peng, Marie Claire, 1 Oct. 2015
Verb
Brick squinches, here decorated with windows and patterns mimicking those below, are not unique to the Samanid mausoleum.
—Judith H. Dobrzynski, WSJ, 4 May 2018
Here, she's added parted lips, slightly sucked-in cheeks, and a subtle chin tilt on top of her master squinch.
—Chelsea Peng, Marie Claire, 1 Oct. 2015
Noun
Some boys and girls look directly at the camera, while others squinch up their faces.
—Mary Carole McCauley, baltimoresun.com, 18 Jan. 2022
To deepen the illusion that life is just one big fashion spread, we've been trained to 1) smize, 2) duck face, 3) squinch, and now, 4) fish gape.
—Chelsea Peng, Marie Claire, 1 Oct. 2015
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squinch
Verb
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The dance began with Irwin crouched atop a Jeep suped up for safari, with the junior conservationist correspondingly decked in the head-to-toe khaki uniform made famous by his dad.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
17 Sep. 2025
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In one instance, a colleague entered Aber’s office to find an inmate crouched under his desk, according to an affidavit filed against Aber in the criminal case.—
Shelly Bradbury,
Denver Post,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The impermanence of our digital footprint, especially in this age of AI scraping and incomplete catalog streaming, is distorting our story.—
Rodney Carmichael,
NPR,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Some slot right in; others distort and cramp.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Skubal, apparently flinching with the noise, balked for only the second time in his career.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
24 Sep. 2025
-
The coaches trust the 6-foot-3, 265-pound defensive end from Sugarland, Texas, to do his thing, even if coaches initially flinch at his intentions.—
Joe Davidson,
Sacbee.com,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Then the judges each made their trademark grimace.—
Laura Vazquez,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
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And there are photos that 247Sports dug up from past Manning throws, even dating to his high school days, that show the grimace.—
Sam Khan Jr,
New York Times,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Meatball huddled with his bent cops, to figure out how to shut Kearney up once and for all.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
24 Sep. 2025
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Much of that time, the first responders huddled at either end of the hallway, many of them outside Marin-Franco’s classroom.—
Shimon Prokupecz,
CNN Money,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Once all of the hair is curled, Ngatikaura added texture spray to the entire head, using her fingers to pick the hair up and apply the product throughout.—
Virginia Chamlee,
PEOPLE,
30 Sep. 2025
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He was denied a goal in the second half with a curling effort from an acute angle that was cleared off the line.—
Andy Naylor,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Perhaps tearing originally grew out of a physiological reflex that restored moisture to the eyes and nasal passages after they had been dried out by the pressure of wincing or the hyperventilation of arousal.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
23 Sep. 2025
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Democrats – and some Republicans – are wincing at the idea that millions of people soon may not be able to afford health insurance.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
23 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Chris’s kids noticed how his smile melted into a frown.—
Juli Fraga,
Time,
23 Sep. 2025
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The two facial expressions are literally inversions of each other — as the song says, a smile is just a frown turned upside down.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
23 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Squinch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squinch. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
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