- present tense form of recoil (3rd person singular).
recoils
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.
At the end of “The Return,” when Fiennes stands entrail-smeared before his beloved Penelope, she recoils from the horror of the battlefield brought right into their home.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
Having fashioned a creature from dead body parts, the scientist recoils from the result, which appears to him to be a monster of “unparalleled barbarity,” and abandons his construction.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 16, 2026
He practices a politics of inspiration, and the Surge recoils at politicians who try to inspire us.
From Slate ● Apr. 5, 2025
"No. I can't believe this. No," Davis says, laughing with dumbfounded disbelief as she recoils.
From Salon ● Feb. 26, 2023
When she sees his number appear, she recoils, as if she’s just seen a poisonous creature.
From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti
