winced
Americanverb
Etymology
Origin of winced
First recorded in 1630–40; winc(e) 1 ( def. ) + -ed 1 ( def. ) for the past tense; winc(e) 1 ( def. ) + -ed 2 ( def. ) for the past participle
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.
Figueroa winced, smiled and fired back to the body.
From BBC • Feb. 7, 2026
The ensuing sound of the collision's initial impact was so loud that jurors winced after being warned to decrease the volume on their listening devices.
From Barron's • Feb. 2, 2026
Like many, I’ve previously winced at hop-on, hop-off city bus tours, but around $29 for a 60-minute ride seemed worth it to get the lay of the land in this densely populated place.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 10, 2026
One of the behind-the-scenes details of that was Hasselbeck winced in pain every time he used his left hand to put the football in Lynch’s belly.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 4, 2025
Suddenly, the familiar pangs of guilt hit me again, and I winced.
From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
