flinched; flinching; flinches
: 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
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
The mayor nodded and smiled, but also flinched, as though struck by spittle.
—
E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2024
Rams outside linebacker Earnest Jones appeared to jump in the neutral zone, causing Decker and left guard Jonah Jackson to move, but officials ruled Decker flinched first.
—Dave Birkett, Detroit Free Press, 15 Jan. 2024
Pugh is unfortunately far from the first star to flinch away from random objects.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 3 Dec. 2023
The exhibition doesn’t flinch from those realities.
—Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024
Nor should teachers flinch from illuminating the darker corners of our story and providing context about how those misdeeds still impact our present.
—Jeff Raikes, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024
The Trojans didn’t flinch on the big, unfamiliar stage in Las Vegas.
—Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024
Wacha, who played for the Padres last season, didn’t flinch in the moment.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 27 Feb. 2024
When the fly stepped onto the vice president’s forehead, Smith didn’t flinch.
—Elliot Ackerman, WIRED, 5 Feb. 2024
E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2024
Rams outside linebacker Earnest Jones appeared to jump in the neutral zone, causing Decker and left guard Jonah Jackson to move, but officials ruled Decker flinched first.
—Dave Birkett, Detroit Free Press, 15 Jan. 2024
Pugh is unfortunately far from the first star to flinch away from random objects.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 3 Dec. 2023
The exhibition doesn’t flinch from those realities.
—Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024
Nor should teachers flinch from illuminating the darker corners of our story and providing context about how those misdeeds still impact our present.
—Jeff Raikes, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024
The Trojans didn’t flinch on the big, unfamiliar stage in Las Vegas.
—Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024
Wacha, who played for the Padres last season, didn’t flinch in the moment.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 27 Feb. 2024
When the fly stepped onto the vice president’s forehead, Smith didn’t flinch.
—Elliot Ackerman, WIRED, 5 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'flinch.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Flinch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flinch. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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