flinch

[flinch] / flɪntʃ /

VERB

shy away, wince

Synonyms

STRONGEST

balk blanch blink cower cringe recoil

STRONG

avoid blench crouch duck elude escape eschew evade flee quail recede retire retreat shirk shrink shun start swerve withdraw

WEAK

draw back

Antonyms

STRONG

advance face forge meet remain stay stretch take on

WEAK

confront

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.

"We will follow the evidence wherever it leads. We will not flinch from uncomfortable truths."

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

“When the lights come on, he just knows what to do, how to do it, and there’s no flinch in that guy.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 21, 2025

Amazingly, Lynda didn’t flinch, and her honesty, unfiltered yet graceful, was refreshing and alluring.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 12, 2025

Through it all, one oil company didn’t flinch.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 9, 2025

I follow him down, a stab of worry making me flinch when I hear the door close behind me.

From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali