recoil

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 follows Britain's Keir Starmer, France's Emmanuel Macron and Canada's Mark Carney, as they recoil from the mercurial policies of Trump, who is also expected to visit from March 31.

From Barron's • Feb. 26, 2026

Today’s readers might recoil at the thought of a Scotsman making a pet out of a wild animal caught in southern Iraq.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 23, 2026

We may all recoil in horror at “Mar-a-Lago face”—and you might be rolling your eyes at my foray into the world of butt-crack straightening.

From Slate • Feb. 22, 2026

It let out a deafening sound, and the recoil blew up leaves and dust from the ground.

From BBC • May 8, 2025

I feel wind and droplets, and—as a kid who lived through a pandemic—I recoil in horror, jumping backward into Jonesy.

From "Popcorn" by Rob Harrell