flinch
About 0.50 uses per million words.
Meaning
- noun A reflexive jerking away.
My eye doctor hates the flinch I have every time he tries to get near my eyes.
- noun The slipping of the foot from a ball, when attempting to give a tight croquet.
- verb To make a sudden, involuntary movement in response to a (usually negative) stimulus; to cringe; to blench.
- verb To dodge (a question), to avoid an unpleasant task or duty
- verb To let the foot slip from a ball, when attempting to give a tight croquet.
- verb Alternative form of flense.
Similar words
wince cringe quail shrink recoil funk squinch blink retreat move
Often followed by
from at when and or in as before away
Word family
flinched flincher flinchers flinches flinching
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