cringing

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“If you’re cringing about writing one performance review, imagine your manager who has to write 15 of them,” says executive coach Sabina Nawaz.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 29, 2026

These lies are so dumb and easy to disprove that the onetime criminal defense attorney in me is cringing.

From Slate • Aug. 16, 2024

And I didn’t want to ruin that moment, so I was just stuck in a different room, laughing and cringing, all that stuff.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 2, 2024

“If I’m not embarrassed by what I did yesterday, if I’m not cringing about what I did yesterday, I did not grow,” Ms. Bichri said.

From New York Times • Jun. 3, 2023

Arthur has hit peak awkward, and even he’s cringing at himself.

From "What If It's Us" by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera