| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | shy away, wince |
| Synonyms: | avoid, balk, blanch, blench, blink, cower, cringe, crouch, draw back, duck, elude, escape, eschew, evade, flee, quail, recede, recoil, retire, retreat, shirk, shrink, shun, start, swerve, withdraw |
| Antonyms: | confront, face, meet |
| Main Entry: | blanch |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | become afraid |
| Synonyms: | flinch, pale, recoil, shrink, start, wince |
| Antonyms: | be brave |
| Main Entry: | cower |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | hide, hover in fear |
| Synonyms: | apple-polish, blench, bootlick, brownnose, cringe, crouch, draw back, fawn, flinch, grovel, honey*, kowtow, quail, recoil, shrink, skulk, sneak, toady, tremble, truckle, wince |
| Antonyms: | come out |
| Main Entry: | fear |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | feel alarm; be scared of |
| Synonyms: | anticipate, apprehend, avoid, be afraid, be anxious, be apprehensive, be disquieted, be frightened, be in awe, blanch, break out in a sweat, cower, crouch, dare not, dread, expect, falter, feel concern, flinch, foresee, fret, have butterflies, have qualms, lose courage, quail, quaver, shrink, shudder, shun, shy, start, suspect, tremble, wilt, worry |
| Antonyms: | brave |
| Main Entry: | jump |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | recoil |
| Synonyms: | bob, bolt, bounce, carom, flinch, jerk, jounce, rebound, ricochet, spring, start, startle, wince |
| Main Entry: | quail |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | cower, shrink |
| Synonyms: | blanch, blench, cringe, droop, faint, falter, flinch, have cold feet, quake, recoil, shake, shudder, start, tremble, wince |
| Antonyms: | face, meet |
| Main Entry: | recoil |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | shrink away |
| Synonyms: | backfire, balk, blanch, blench, blink, carom, cringe, demur, dodge, draw back, duck, falter, flinch, hesitate, jerk, kick, pull back, quail, quake, react, rebound, reel, resile, shake, shirk, shrink, shudder, shy away, spring, start, step back, stick, stickle, swerve, tremble, turn away, waver, wince, withdraw |
| Antonyms: | face, meet |
| Main Entry: | shrink |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | recoil, shy away |
| Synonyms: | blench, boggle, contract, cower, cringe, crouch, demur, draw back, flinch, hang back, huddle, quail, recede, refuse, retire, retreat, scruple, shudder, slink, wince, withdraw |
| Antonyms: | face, meet, take on |
| Main Entry: | wince |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | draw back |
| Synonyms: | back off, blanch, blench, cower, cringe, dodge, duck, flinch, grimace, jib, make a face, quail, recoil, shrink, shy, start, swerve, turn |