flinch

¹ American  

[flinch] / flɪntʃ /

verb (used without object)

1. to draw back or shrink, as from what is dangerous, difficult, or unpleasant.

   Synonyms:

   blench, withdraw, recoil

2. to shrink under pain; wince.

3. Croquet. to let the foot slip from the ball in the act of croqueting.

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verb (used with object)

1. to draw back or withdraw from.

noun

1. an act of flinching.

flinch ² American  

[flinch] / flɪntʃ /

verb (used with object)

1. flense.

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flinch ¹ British  

/ flɪntʃ /

verb

1. to draw back suddenly, as from pain, shock, etc; wince

   he flinched as the cold water struck him

2. (often foll by from) to avoid contact (with); shy away

   he never flinched from his duty

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noun

1. the act or an instance of drawing back

2. a card game in which players build sequences

flinch ² British  

/ flɪntʃ /

verb

1. a variant of flense

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Other Word Forms

• flincher noun
• flinchingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of flinch

First recorded in 1555–65; perhaps nasalized variant of dial. flitch to flit, shift one's position

Explanation

To flinch is to react to pain by wincing, pulling away, or cringing. Often it's used to describe a person who shows a moment of weakness or fright: he was so tough, I thought he'd never flinch, but snakes really freak him out. To flinch is to pull away suddenly or recoil when something frightens or hurts you. People flinch at different things. Needles, for example, cause some people to flinch, while they're not even noticed by others. If you can withstand something awful without showing it, you're likely to hear someone say "Wow! You didn't even flinch!" Think of it as a combination of flee and pinch. If you don't flee when you get pinched, you don't flinch.

Example Sentences

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

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

Children who flinch at the slam of a door.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 15, 2026

So the next time you reach past the clinking crowd of condiments for the same familiar jar, you might try not to flinch.

From Salon • Jan. 31, 2026

When we flinch as someone else gets hit, we feel their pain.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 22, 2026

Every now and then, I take a bite that makes me flinch, but it’s not too bad.

From "I Can Make This Promise" by Christine Day

Related Words

• balk
• blanch
• blink
• cower
• cringe
• recoil