had been recoiling

• past perfect progressive

  past perfect progressive

  Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.

  of recoil.
  recoil

  verb (used without object)

  to draw back; start or shrink back, as in alarm, horror, or disgust.

Related Words

• backfire
• balk
• blanch
• blink
• cringe
• demur
• flinch
• hesitate
• reel
• shudder
• tremble
• turn away
• waver
• wince