recoil
verb (used without object)
to draw back; start or shrink back, as in alarm, horror, or disgust.
were recoiling
-
past progressiveof recoil.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.
Yet this British pop singer on the cusp didn’t flinch, blasting her irresistible “Future Nostalgia” LP into the world as most of her contemporaries were recoiling.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 21, 2022
Behind the scenes, some moderate Republicans were recoiling, too.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 23, 2020
Meanwhile, many original dubstep believers were recoiling from the rowdy, macho atmosphere that had descended on the scene.
From The Guardian ● Aug. 2, 2012
So much so that Americans were recoiling from any reminder of the war—even at the risk of betraying some of their best ideals.
From Time Magazine Archive
But as if revenge were recoiling upon him came in the wake of that satisfied primitive instinct a surge of longing for Lucille.
From Witch-Doctors by Charles Beadle
