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.
was cringing
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past progressiveof cringe.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
I was cringing at having to accept help from someone I’d been very rude to.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 23, 2023
“I was cringing a bit,” Ms. Butler said.
From New York Times ● Feb. 3, 2021
“Everyone was cringing because Japan and China are rivals, and the Japanese and the Chinese are nervous about the president tilting too far towards the other side,” that person said.
From Salon ● Aug. 13, 2018
If he was cringing inside, no one could tell.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2018
When the lights finally went out and the girls joined them, Reynie was cringing even before Kate asked her question.
From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart
