as in flinched
to draw back in fear, pain, or disgust
the social worker tried not to recoil from the sight of the cockroach in the bathtub
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Recent Examples of recoiled
Investors recoiled out of fears of an endless quagmire.
—
Jake Angelo, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2026
When Paramount debuted a first look at the film in 2019, online commentators recoiled at the speedy hedgehog’s human teeth and odd facial features.
—Angelique Jackson, Variety, 26 Mar. 2026
Users recoiled immediately, forcing OpenAI to backtrack and restore the old models.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2026
In a flash, the Avs veteran flew right into a sprawling, helpless Ingram, who recoiled at the contact.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 11 Mar. 2026
After decades of being kissed up to by massive government support, our fossil fuel industries recoiled against President Joe Biden’s support to grow our clean energy sector.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 10 Feb. 2026
Brendan Mcdermid | Reuters Software stocks on Thursday slid deeper into an ongoing intense sell-off this year as investors recoiled from the sector on growing fears that artificial intelligence could upend many firms' business models.
—Yun Li, CNBC, 29 Jan. 2026
The citizenry has broadly recoiled; her killing, in addition to being a human tragedy, has been a public relations disaster for the administration.
—Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 20 Jan. 2026
Generations of scientists, perhaps all with Great Aunt Mildreds who recoiled at the noise, have looked into whether cracking truly bad for our joints or overall health.
—Sarah Lindenfeld Hall, Popular Science, 7 Jan. 2026
Jake Angelo, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2026
When Paramount debuted a first look at the film in 2019, online commentators recoiled at the speedy hedgehog’s human teeth and odd facial features.
—Angelique Jackson, Variety, 26 Mar. 2026
Users recoiled immediately, forcing OpenAI to backtrack and restore the old models.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2026
In a flash, the Avs veteran flew right into a sprawling, helpless Ingram, who recoiled at the contact.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 11 Mar. 2026
After decades of being kissed up to by massive government support, our fossil fuel industries recoiled against President Joe Biden’s support to grow our clean energy sector.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 10 Feb. 2026
Brendan Mcdermid | Reuters Software stocks on Thursday slid deeper into an ongoing intense sell-off this year as investors recoiled from the sector on growing fears that artificial intelligence could upend many firms' business models.
—Yun Li, CNBC, 29 Jan. 2026
The citizenry has broadly recoiled; her killing, in addition to being a human tragedy, has been a public relations disaster for the administration.
—Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 20 Jan. 2026
Generations of scientists, perhaps all with Great Aunt Mildreds who recoiled at the noise, have looked into whether cracking truly bad for our joints or overall health.
—Sarah Lindenfeld Hall, Popular Science, 7 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for recoiled
Verb
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Gorajski flinched and ducked out of the way like Cisek was an incoming meteor.—
Tony Baranek,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Her coach never flinched, as Kara Lawson basked in the joy of winning such a big game in a city that has embraced her.—
Joe Davidson
March 27,
Sacbee.com,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Grunloh winced when asked about the team’s struggles.—
Rick Armstrong,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Forrest pushed it and winced as tear gas sprayed.—
James Verini,
New Yorker,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
For a decade, viewers have cringed at Amanda Batula and Kyle Cooke’s rocky relationship, the dénouement of which is currently playing out on season ten of Summer House.—
Rebecca Jennings,
Vulture,
1 Apr. 2026
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And the mother of Carter, a 5-year-old boy, cringed in fear when Carter (who was celebrating his birthday) was approached at a neighborhood bike park by a group of much older boys.—
Chris John Amorosino,
Hartford Courant,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Recoiled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/recoiled. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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