as in flinches
to draw back in fear, pain, or disgust
winced at the movie's graphic depiction of combat injuries
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of winces
Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 6 Apr. 2026
Bryan winces after weighing in at 597 lbs.
—Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 9 Dec. 2025
When the crowd begins hooting in response, Nanjiani winces.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 3 Dec. 2025
Lina winces at the sound of Jaya munching on an apple, made worse by the static on the line.
—Hazlitt, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
The burger contains two one-pound patties, 10 pieces of bacon, two layers of mushrooms (Beard winces at the thought of mushrooms), two layers of blue cheese crumbles and Swiss cheese, mayonnaise, tomato and lettuce.
—Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 6 Apr. 2026
Bryan winces after weighing in at 597 lbs.
—Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 9 Dec. 2025
When the crowd begins hooting in response, Nanjiani winces.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 3 Dec. 2025
Lina winces at the sound of Jaya munching on an apple, made worse by the static on the line.
—Hazlitt, 8 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for winces
Verb
-
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
-
DiVincenzo never flinches at adversity.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
And yet, the wry grimaces that followed said the quiet part out loud.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
30 Mar. 2026
-
In the video, Claffey tries to move Ansell away from the subject and grimaces at the camera when his costar seems to say a little too much.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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While JoAnne recoils from Duncan’s machinations, her son Orson finally bottoms out in the supplement pit of the manosphere.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
17 May 2026
-
Anaia recoils from this request, but Racine is fully up for the mission.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
Greg’s smile, contrasted with the frowns and thumbs-down from the rest of the crew, makes for an entertaining visual.—
Erin Qualey,
Vulture,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Those surrounding the bride stood up and began clapping, their frowns shifting to wide smiles.—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Payton cringes at the mention of a sophomore slump, that defenses will figure out Nix.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
6 Aug. 2025
Noun
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One of the series’ most creative elements is the variety of scowls Graham deploys while arguing with Hezekiah, Mary, or his younger brother, Treacle (James Nelson-Joyce), a pragmatic family man who represents everything Sugar’s life could have been if he weren’t filled with so much self-loathing.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Soto’s Marie pouts and squeals with abandon.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
-
Collectively, we’re all obsessed with the perfect pouts created by celebrity makeup artist Nina Park, whose A-list clientele includes Zoë Kravitz, Emma Stone, Hailey Bieber, and more.—
Jessie Quinn,
StyleCaster,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
Drivers should brace for traffic snarls this summer when South Elgin’s State Street bridge over the Fox River is reduced to one lane for road resurfacing work.—
Gloria Casas,
Chicago Tribune,
29 May 2026
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Travel industry leaders and major airlines warn the proposal would devastate tourism, choke international cargo and create massive operational snarls.—
Josh Funk,
Los Angeles Times,
24 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Winces.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/winces. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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