flinched; flinching; flinches
: to withdraw or shrink from or as if from pain : wince
He flinched when he was presented with the car repair bill.
also
: to tense the muscles involuntarily in anticipation of discomfort
I cannot help flinching when I hear the dentist's drill.
flinch
noun
flincher
noun
Examples of flinch in a Sentence
He flinched when I tapped him on the shoulder.
She met danger without flinching.
The bill was much higher than expected, but he paid it without flinching.
Recent Examples on the Web
Udoka would’ve been another strong fit, but Houston never flinched.
—
Kristian Winfield, Hartford Courant, 11 June 2025
Each time, Putin has called his bluff and Trump has flinched.
—Edward Fishman, Foreign Affairs, 4 June 2025
However, the 27-year-old right-hander barely flinched and casually walked off the field as soon as the play was over.
—Sean Neumann, People.com, 4 June 2025
Between 3:17 and 5:17 a.m., officers watched Vong call for help, crawl around the cell floor injured, unable to stand and kicking and flinching in pain, the lawsuit said.
—Jennifer Rodriguez, Kansas City Star, 5 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for flinch
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Kristian Winfield, Hartford Courant, 11 June 2025
Each time, Putin has called his bluff and Trump has flinched.
—Edward Fishman, Foreign Affairs, 4 June 2025
However, the 27-year-old right-hander barely flinched and casually walked off the field as soon as the play was over.
—Sean Neumann, People.com, 4 June 2025
Between 3:17 and 5:17 a.m., officers watched Vong call for help, crawl around the cell floor injured, unable to stand and kicking and flinching in pain, the lawsuit said.
—Jennifer Rodriguez, Kansas City Star, 5 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for flinch
Cite this Entry
“Flinch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flinch. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share