cringing

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.

“If you’re cringing about writing one performance review, imagine your manager who has to write 15 of them,” says executive coach Sabina Nawaz.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 29, 2026

These lies are so dumb and easy to disprove that the onetime criminal defense attorney in me is cringing.

From Slate • Aug. 16, 2024

Even some liberal economists are cringing a bit.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 4, 2023

Fortunately, the class had generated enough trust that we could express ourselves freely: cringing at some passages and laughing at others, agreeing on the book’s importance while allowing for divergent assessments of its literary merit.

From New York Times • Mar. 3, 2023

A head was shooting upward from the ground; limbs were sprouting; a moment later, a man was standing where Scabbers had been, cringing and wringing his hands.

From "Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling