The meaning of Flinch

phrasal verb

Make a retreat from an earlier commitment or activity

phrasal verb

To move backwards away from something or someone, usually because you are frightened

Usage examples:

She saw that he had a gun and backed away., the government has backed away from plans to increase t…

phrasal verb

To show that you do not support a plan or idea any longer and do not want to be involved with it

Usage examples:

The government has backed away from plans to increase taxes.

verb

Make a sudden flinching movement out of fear or pain.

Usage examples:

He blenched and struggled to regain his composure

verb

Crouch down in fear.

Usage examples:

Children cowered in terror as the shoot-out erupted

verb

Bend one's head and body in fear or apprehension or in a servile manner.

Usage examples:

He cringed away from the blow

noun

An act of cringing.

Usage examples:

The chuckle turned into a cringe as i swung a little, due to the movement caused by my laughter.

verb

To feel embarrassed and ashamed about something

Usage examples:

I cringed when i realized what i’d said., he cringes every time he hears the dentist’s drill.

verb

Lose strength or momentum.

Usage examples:

The music faltered, stopped, and started up again

verb

Move hesitatingly, as if about to give way

verb

To lose strength or purpose and pause or stop

Usage examples:

His career began to falter., faltering speech

verb

Pause in indecision before saying or doing something.

Usage examples:

She hesitated, unsure of what to say

verb

Pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness

verb

To pause before you do or say something, often because you are uncertain or nervous about it

Usage examples:

[ + to infinitive ] if you need anything, don’t hesitate to call me., [ + to infinitive ] the bank …

noun

A small short-tailed old world game bird resembling a tiny partridge, typically having brown camouflaged plumage.

Usage examples:

Birds such as grouse, crows, quail, partridge, nightjars, cuckoos, shrikes, larks, pipits, merlins,…

verb

Feel or show fear or apprehension.

Usage examples:

She quailed at his heartless words

noun

A small brown bird with a short tail, sometimes hunted as a sport and eaten as a food

verb

(especially of the earth) shake or tremble.

Usage examples:

The rumbling vibrations set the whole valley quaking

noun

An earthquake.

Usage examples:

A big quake east of the rocky mountains

verb

To shake, esp. because you are frightened

Usage examples:

He quaked with fear at the thought.

verb

Tremble or shake with a slight rapid motion.

Usage examples:

The tree's branches stopped quivering

noun

A slight trembling movement or sound, especially one caused by a sudden strong emotion.

Usage examples:

She couldn't help the quiver in her voice

noun

An archer's portable case for holding arrows.

Usage examples:

He also had a framed backpack, a utility belt containing tools, a quiver containing 14 arrows, a fl…

verb

Suddenly spring or flinch back in fear, horror, or disgust.

Usage examples:

He recoiled in horror

noun

The action of recoiling.

Usage examples:

His body jerked with the recoil of the rifle

verb

To make a sudden movement away from something esp. because of fear or disgust

Usage examples:

Fig. sun-worshipers might recoil in horror at the chilling winds and rough seas, but we loved the p…

verb

(of a structure or area of land) tremble or vibrate.

Usage examples:

Buildings shook in sacramento and tremors were felt in reno

noun

An act of shaking.

Usage examples:

She gave her red curls a shake

verb

Move or cause to move back and forth

verb

Shake slightly and uncontrollably as a result of being cold, frightened, or excited.

Usage examples:

They shivered in the damp foggy cold

noun

A momentary trembling movement.

Usage examples:

She gave a little shiver as the wind flicked at her bare arms

verb

Break into such splinters or fragments.

Usage examples:

The world seemed to shiver into a million splinters of prismatic colour

verb

Become or make smaller in size or amount.

Usage examples:

The workforce shrank to a thousand

noun

A psychiatrist.

Usage examples:

You should see a shrink

verb

To become smaller or cause something to become smaller

Usage examples:

[ i ] the show’s audience has shrunk in the last few months., [ t ] i shrank my sweater by putting …

verb

(of a person) tremble convulsively, typically as a result of fear or revulsion.

Usage examples:

She still shuddered at the thought of him

noun

An act of shuddering.

Usage examples:

The elevator rose with a shudder

verb

Wriggle or twist the body from side to side, especially as a result of nervousness or discomfort.

Usage examples:

He looked uncomfortable and squirmed in his chair

noun

A wriggling movement.

Usage examples:

The toddler gave a sudden squirm

verb

To make twisting movements with the body, esp. because of embarrassment, pain, or excitement

Usage examples:

The kids squirmed in their chairs.

verb

Begin or be reckoned from a particular point in time or space.

Usage examples:

The season starts in september

noun

The point in time or space at which something has its origin; the beginning.

Usage examples:

He takes over as chief executive at the start of next year

abbreviation

Strategic arms reduction treaty, an agreement between the us and the soviet union to limit and reduce strategic nuclear weapons, first signed in 1991.

verb

(of a person or part of the body) shake involuntarily, typically as a result of anxiety, excitement, or frailty.

Usage examples:

Isobel was trembling with excitement

noun

(of a person, a part of the body, or the voice) shake involuntarily, typically as a result of anxiety, excitement, or frailty.

Usage examples:

Isobel was trembling with excitement

verb

Move in a quivering way; flicker.

Usage examples:

The flame wavered in the draught

verb

To begin to doubt or lose your determination to do something

Usage examples:

He never wavered as the leading voice of african-americans’ call for freedom and equality., she wav…

verb

Make a slight involuntary grimace or shrinking movement of the body out of pain or distress.

Usage examples:

He winced at the disgust in her voice

noun

An instance of wincing.

Usage examples:

At the touch of his hand, there was a slight wince of pain.

noun

A roller for moving textile fabric through a dyeing vat.

Usage examples:

The hengst was fitted on one side with a wooden winch, the ‘wince’, and could be fastened to the si…

verb

Remove or take away (something) from a particular place or position.

Usage examples:

Ruth withdrew her hand from his

verb

Pull back or move away or backward

verb

To take something back, or to remove something

Usage examples:

[ t ] he asked that his name be withdrawn from nomination for a golden globe award., [ t ] democrat…