recoil
verb (used without object)
to draw back; start or shrink back, as in alarm, horror, or disgust.
are recoiling
-
present progressiveof recoil.present progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or state that is currently taking place in the immediate present.
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.
Economic uncertainty has tempered demand among even the wealthiest clients who had lifted sales for years, while aspirational shoppers are recoiling from persistent price increases.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 18, 2026
Americans are recoiling at rising restaurant and coffee prices and eating out less, making Starbucks’s turnaround more challenging.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2025
While some parents are recoiling from how much screen time they’ve allowed, others have found a new appreciation for the way it can help kids socialize and learn.
From Washington Post ● Jun. 24, 2021
Meanwhile, on the streets of the country, people are recoiling in the wake of each passing stranger’s exhalation.
From Washington Times ● Apr. 1, 2020
Thus the armies of the Confederate States are recoiling at all points, and a settled gloom is apparent on many weak faces.
From A Rebel War Clerk's Diary at the Confederate States Capital by John Beauchamp Jones
