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Definitions

flinch

[flinch] / flɪntʃ /
VERB
shy away, wince
Synonyms
STRONGEST
balk blanch blink cower cringe recoil
STRONG
avoid blench crouch duck elude escape eschew evade flee quail recede retire retreat shirk shrink shun start swerve withdraw
WEAK
draw back
Antonyms
STRONG
advance face forge meet remain stay stretch take on
WEAK
confront

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.

"He didn't flinch when the request came in."

From BBC • Feb. 7, 2026

Amazingly, Lynda didn’t flinch, and her honesty, unfiltered yet graceful, was refreshing and alluring.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 12, 2025

But in recent days, investors have appeared to flinch at news that Meta, Alphabet, Microsoft and Amazon.com all intend to spend even more in 2026 on their AI build-outs.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 4, 2025

Through it all, one oil company didn’t flinch.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 9, 2025

I try not to visibly flinch as glasses lift around me.

From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.