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
When her potential charges were read out, some of the children seated nearby flinched, with shocked expressions on their faces.
—
Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 12 June 2024
Flacco has thrown eight interceptions in his five starts and can flinch under pressure.
—Hank Gola, New York Daily News, 12 Jan. 2024
Instead of finding cover and removing bystanders, the report reads, officers approached the driver-side window while another officer broke the passenger window, causing the man to flinch.
—Miguel Torres, The Arizona Republic, 14 June 2024
Her roommate raced home and burst through the door ready to take a swing at anyone inside, only to find a hulking man in the living room who barely flinched.
—Christine Pelisek, Peoplemag, 6 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for flinch 
Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 12 June 2024
Flacco has thrown eight interceptions in his five starts and can flinch under pressure.
—Hank Gola, New York Daily News, 12 Jan. 2024
Instead of finding cover and removing bystanders, the report reads, officers approached the driver-side window while another officer broke the passenger window, causing the man to flinch.
—Miguel Torres, The Arizona Republic, 14 June 2024
Her roommate raced home and burst through the door ready to take a swing at anyone inside, only to find a hulking man in the living room who barely flinched.
—Christine Pelisek, Peoplemag, 6 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for flinch
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 7 Jul. 2024.
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