cringe

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as in to flinch
to draw back or crouch down in fearful submission the puppy cringed when his master raised the rolled-up newspaper

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word cringe distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of cringe are cower, fawn, toady, and truckle. While all these words mean "to behave abjectly before a superior," cringe suggests a bowing or shrinking in fear or servility.

a cringing sycophant

When is cower a more appropriate choice than cringe?

The meanings of cower and cringe largely overlap; however, cower suggests a display of abject fear in the company of threatening or domineering people.

cowering before a bully

When could fawn be used to replace cringe?

Although the words fawn and cringe have much in common, fawn implies seeking favor by servile flattery or exaggerated attention.

waiters fawning over a celebrity

When might toady be a better fit than cringe?

In some situations, the words toady and cringe are roughly equivalent. However, toady suggests the attempt to ingratiate oneself by an abjectly menial or subservient attitude.

toadying to his boss

Where would truckle be a reasonable alternative to cringe?

The words truckle and cringe can be used in similar contexts, but truckle implies the subordination of oneself and one's desires or judgment to those of a superior.

truckling to a powerful lobbyist

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of cringe Seniors from some of the nation’s most expensive high schools travel each year to a luxury resort in the Bahamas — trips that make school administrators cringe. Dionne Searcey, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2025 Read on to this PEOPLE writer's ranking of the most shocking — and sheer cringe — moments from the HBO series, from awkward to awful. Alexandra Schonfeld, People.com, 17 Mar. 2025 Gellar chatted with Glamour about the advice her Dexter costar Michael C. Hall told her about returning to an iconic role, her one film her kids don’t find cringe, and her rules for re-creating 90s fashion. Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 17 Mar. 2025 And everyone would cringe at the thought of disappointing their colleagues. Justin Gest, Newsweek, 10 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cringe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cringe
Verb
  • Just look at what could’ve been the game-winning 3-pointer: The entire nation, minus Gator fans, winced at that.
    Chris Branch, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
  • City officials winced at the thought of heavy military equipment rolling on streets.
    Cuneyt Dil, Axios, 7 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • When confronted with this new, harsh reality, our state didn’t flinch.
    Wes Moore, Baltimore Sun, 12 Apr. 2025
  • Yes, there will be some wins, at least from an optics perspective, but especially with China neither Trump nor Xi wants to be the first to flinch.
    Chuck Jones, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Markets recoiled at the developments, sending stocks into a vicious two-day sell-off that put the Nasdaq Composite, home to powerhouse Silicon Valley names that Trump has been courting in the early days of his second term, into a bear market.
    Erin Doherty,Annika Kim Constantino,Yun Li, CNBC, 5 Apr. 2025
  • When others recoiled in disgust from sick and suffering people, the Buddha cared for them, showing that healing and dignity come from love.
    Rabbi Dana Magat, The Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Through the video, she is shown cowering in the corner of her enclosure, staying close to the wall.
    John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Apr. 2025
  • The newspaper, controlled by Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, depicted Alinejad cowering in fear beneath the captive forms of two dissidents the regime had lured back to Iran from exile and executed.
    Karl Vick, TIME, 21 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Cringe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cringe. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.

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