flinch

verb

ˈflinch 

flinched; flinching; flinches

intransitive verb

: to withdraw or shrink from or as if from pain : wince

He flinched when he was presented with the car repair bill.

also : to tense the muscles involuntarily in anticipation of discomfort

I cannot help flinching when I hear the dentist's drill.

flinch noun

flincher noun

Synonyms

• blench
• cringe
• quail
• recoil
• shrink
• squinch
• wince

Choose the Right Synonym for flinch

recoil, shrink, flinch, wince, blench, quail mean to draw back in fear or distaste.

recoil implies a start or movement away through shock, fear, or disgust.

recoiled at the suggestion of stealing

shrink suggests an instinctive recoil through sensitiveness, scrupulousness, or cowardice.

shrank from the unpleasant truth

flinch implies a failure to endure pain or face something dangerous or frightening with resolution.

faced her accusers without flinching

wince suggests a slight involuntary physical reaction (such as a start or recoiling).

winced in pain

blench implies fainthearted flinching.

stood their ground without blenching

quail suggests shrinking and cowering in fear.

quailed before the apparition

Examples of flinch in a Sentence

He flinched when I tapped him on the shoulder.

She met danger without flinching.

The bill was much higher than expected, but he paid it without flinching.

Recent Examples on the Web

Jennifer Urban, 2nd coach ever for Naperville North girls volleyball, leaves ‘dream job’ after making real impact Called up to varsity, sophomore guard Abe Martinez doesn’t flinch for West Aurora. —Chicago Tribune, 11 Dec. 2024

Last year, many retailers didn’t flinch under similar circumstances and many still wound up having a successful season. —Christina Cheddar Berk, CNBC, 25 Nov. 2024

But Billy still flinches when Agatha, admittedly projecting a whole lot of her own childhood-trauma junk onto him, delivers a passionate speech about how Billy shouldn’t feel guilty for anything he’s done while just trying to survive. —Caroline Framke, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2024

People gawk and flinch on the subway; a comely neighbor, Ingrid (Renate Reinsve), upon meeting him, lets out an involuntary shriek. —Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 13 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle French flenchir to bend, of Germanic origin; akin to Middle High German lenken to bend, Old High German hlanca flank — more at lank

First Known Use

1578, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

flinch

verb

ˈflinch 

: to draw back from or as if from physical pain : wince

flinch noun

flincher noun