1
as in to wince
to draw back in fear, pain, or disgust
gruesome crime scene photos that made several jurors cringe
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cringe
If the dad in your life cringes at the thought of wearing flip-flops during the summer months, these Dockers may make him into a sandals convert.
—
Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 11 June 2025
And here’s a statistic that should make the gray-haired Blake Street Bombers cringe: At Coors Field this season, opponents have outhomered Colorado 44-28.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 8 June 2025
The first two seasons, there were a lot adjustments and cringe moments.
—Reshma Gopaldas, IndieWire, 30 May 2025
For those who prefer less cringe, well, take it from Craig himself: There’s a new Marvel out.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for cringe
Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 11 June 2025
And here’s a statistic that should make the gray-haired Blake Street Bombers cringe: At Coors Field this season, opponents have outhomered Colorado 44-28.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 8 June 2025
The first two seasons, there were a lot adjustments and cringe moments.
—Reshma Gopaldas, IndieWire, 30 May 2025
For those who prefer less cringe, well, take it from Craig himself: There’s a new Marvel out.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for cringe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cringe
Verb
-
As the prosecutor described the fatal injuries her daughter faced, Scarbrough bowed her head and winced.—
David Clarey,
jsonline.com,
3 July 2025
-
Dakota Johnson is more charming than usual here but moves like someone whose feet have never touched the ground, who has never winced looking at a bill.—
Angelica Jade Bastién,
Vulture,
25 June 2025
Verb
-
Judge Subramanian didn’t flinch, siding with the government.—
Danielle Bacher,
People.com,
3 July 2025
-
When the conversation turned to the metaphorical messes — like heartbreak — the 54-year-old didn’t flinch.—
Amber Corrine,
VIBE.com,
3 July 2025
Verb
-
Democrats have already recoiled at the anti-Muslim attacks he’s faced since Tuesday, and the nervous backroom meetings of wealthy people who want to stop him.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
27 June 2025
-
In a fragmented health-care system like that of the United States, such studies are also commercially treacherous: investors recoil from timelines this long and outcomes this uncertain.—
Siddhartha Mukherjee,
New Yorker,
16 June 2025
Verb
-
America might still be a British dependency had the Congress of 1776 feared and obeyed George III the way Donald Trump’s Republicans cower to him.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
3 July 2025
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My pit bull Marcel cowered on the couch during the cold while the fluffier newsroom hounds frolicked in the snow.—
Deborah Sengupta Stith,
Austin American Statesman,
2 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cringe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cringe. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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