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.
were 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’m sure our doctors were cringing the first time we threw the ball to him,” Kelly said.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 25, 2019
Finally she turned her face toward them and Olanna looked at her: a plain village girl curled up on the bed as if she were cringing from one more furious blow from life.
From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
There were cringing, fawning epistles, written with a smirk and sealed with a scowl; some there were couched in a refinement of cruelty that cut like a knife.
From The Parts Men Play by Arthur Beverley Baxter
"Match-es," they murmured; and when she had struck a light she saw how the two were cringing, their blankets huddled round them.
From The Jimmyjohn Boss and Other Stories by Owen Wister
