cringe
verb (used without object)
to shrink back, bend, or crouch, especially in fear, pain, or servility; cower: They cringed and bowed before the king.
cringes
-
present tense formof cringe (3rd person singular).present tense
Used to describe things happening now or regularly.
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.
He drives a Ford pickup truck and cringes at needing a security detail, according to a person who knows him well.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 16, 2026
"I was in the studio and Lois texted me, 'By the way, we forgot our anniversary'," he cringes.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2025
He cringes at the thought of looking up an old video of him trying to sing Sublime’s “Caress Me Down” at someone else’s behest.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 4, 2024
I'm a loving person who cringes at everything associated with February 14, a fan of democracy who wants to hide every time July 4 rolls around and a very grateful individual who actively dislikes Thanksgiving.
From Salon ● Nov. 22, 2023
He cringes and shrugs, which scores a smile out of me.
From "What If It's Us" by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera
