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
Members of this family could walk over hot coals without flinching.
—
Brenda Goodman, CNN, 30 Jan. 2025
Page, a fixture on the vaunted Vikings defensive line, fired into Mack claiming the Rams left guard had flinched before the snap.
—Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 13 Jan. 2025
The team that wins this game may be the one capable of withstanding the most, and that may be the closest group, the one that refuses to flinch.
—Jon Krawczynski, The Athletic, 3 Jan. 2025
Some, though, pay him mind — especially after a female influencer is shot in the head after flinching when the music stops.
—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 26 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for flinch 
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Brenda Goodman, CNN, 30 Jan. 2025
Page, a fixture on the vaunted Vikings defensive line, fired into Mack claiming the Rams left guard had flinched before the snap.
—Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 13 Jan. 2025
The team that wins this game may be the one capable of withstanding the most, and that may be the closest group, the one that refuses to flinch.
—Jon Krawczynski, The Athletic, 3 Jan. 2025
Some, though, pay him mind — especially after a female influencer is shot in the head after flinching when the music stops.
—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 26 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for flinch
Articles Related to flinch
Dictionary Entries Near flinch
Cite this Entry
“Flinch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flinch. Accessed 8 Feb. 2025.
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