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.
had been cringing
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past perfect progressiveof cringe.past perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.
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.
A head was shooting upward from the ground; limbs were sprouting; a moment later, a man was standing where Scabbers had been, cringing and wringing his hands.
From "Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling
At that moment a gosling waddled close to the dog, who had been cringing in a corner of the courtyard.
From "Homeless Bird" by Gloria Whelan
