as in flinching
to draw back in fear, pain, or disgust
winced at the movie's graphic depiction of combat injuries
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Recent Examples of wincing
Already wincing from the high cost of living, some are going out of their way to spend less at the pump, cooling their jets in long gas lines at Costco and Sam’s Club, downloading the GasBuddy mobile app to scout for the cheapest gas and tapping fuel rewards programs.
—
Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 26 Mar. 2026
Then, as things dragged on, Goldberg could be seen recoiling and wincing in her chair — and, at one point, fully collapsing backward in protest.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Mar. 2026
As the nation bonded as one over the past two weeks biting nails, screaming at wins, wincing at crashes and choking up at all the beautiful moments of Olympic competition, another group of athletes were – and still are – out honing their multi-level championship skills.
—Moira McCarthy, Boston Herald, 25 Feb. 2026
Michelle Yeoh is wincing at the thought of collecting her honorary Golden Bear here in Berlin.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 14 Feb. 2026
Wind roared through the open doorway and into the vestibule where I was pressed against the side, wincing at the noise.
—Monisha Rajesh, Outside, 9 Dec. 2025
In that moment, Dupree involuntarily punches him and the pair go quiet as Dooley cusses and bends over wincing in pain.
—Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 2 Oct. 2025
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, 23 Sep. 2025
Immediately, Moore was on the ground and wincing in pain.
—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025
Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 26 Mar. 2026
Then, as things dragged on, Goldberg could be seen recoiling and wincing in her chair — and, at one point, fully collapsing backward in protest.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Mar. 2026
As the nation bonded as one over the past two weeks biting nails, screaming at wins, wincing at crashes and choking up at all the beautiful moments of Olympic competition, another group of athletes were – and still are – out honing their multi-level championship skills.
—Moira McCarthy, Boston Herald, 25 Feb. 2026
Michelle Yeoh is wincing at the thought of collecting her honorary Golden Bear here in Berlin.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 14 Feb. 2026
Wind roared through the open doorway and into the vestibule where I was pressed against the side, wincing at the noise.
—Monisha Rajesh, Outside, 9 Dec. 2025
In that moment, Dupree involuntarily punches him and the pair go quiet as Dooley cusses and bends over wincing in pain.
—Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 2 Oct. 2025
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, 23 Sep. 2025
Immediately, Moore was on the ground and wincing in pain.
—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wincing
Verb
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The Alpha Wave acquisition suggests the Gulf’s biggest dealmakers aren’t flinching at opportunities in the US or being slowed by the war in Iran.—
Kelsey Warner,
semafor.com,
10 Mar. 2026
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Freeny absorbed the impact like Marvin Hagler, hardly flinching and brushing it off.—
Haley Sawyer,
Oc Register,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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
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Then, as things dragged on, Goldberg could be seen recoiling and wincing in her chair — and, at one point, fully collapsing backward in protest.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The movie’s real sympathetic figure is Hall, played by Dacre Montgomery, who spends most of the movie cringing and flinching, while trying not to move.—
Mick LaSalle,
San Francisco Chronicle,
5 Jan. 2026
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In it, her fellow students can be seen gasping, covering their faces and cringing.—
Catherine Santino,
PEOPLE,
30 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wincing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wincing. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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