as in to flinch
to draw back in fear, pain, or disgust
winced at the movie's graphic depiction of combat injuries
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Recent Examples of wince
Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 14 Jan. 2025
Nix played every snap in the game, but he was seen wincing in the fourth quarter after throwing a touchdown pass to Courtland Sutton and wore a wrap on the sideline for part of the game.
—Nick Kosmider, The Athletic, 14 Jan. 2025
Eilish winced upon its impact, turning her head to show palpable disappointment.
—Caroline Thayer, Fox News, 16 Dec. 2024
The two of them winced when a gunman raised his rifle with one hand into the air and let loose a salvo.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 9 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for wince
Verb
Towns, a righty, winced and grabbed his shooting hand but remained in the game.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 14 Jan. 2025
Nix played every snap in the game, but he was seen wincing in the fourth quarter after throwing a touchdown pass to Courtland Sutton and wore a wrap on the sideline for part of the game.
—Nick Kosmider, The Athletic, 14 Jan. 2025
Eilish winced upon its impact, turning her head to show palpable disappointment.
—Caroline Thayer, Fox News, 16 Dec. 2024
The two of them winced when a gunman raised his rifle with one hand into the air and let loose a salvo.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 9 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for wince
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wince
Verb
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But at that moment, looking up from the examination table at Tina, her dark hair framing her unsmiling face, Lilian neither hesitated nor flinched.—
Yiyun Li,
The New Yorker,
9 Mar. 2025
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And the white target with the red bullseye that had been on his chest, standing out against his black prison jumpsuit, disappeared instantly as Sigmon's whole body flinched.—
Jeffrey Collins,
CBS News,
8 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Those could also prove useful, but will face the challenge of distinguishing facial expressions unique to pain rather than similar grimaces related to being hungry.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
3 May 2017
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In the movie, the monkey is a two-foot-tall sculpted plastic model whose arms bang up and down on a drum, as his mouth opens up to bare its teeth in a violent grimace.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
17 Feb. 2025
Verb
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In the trailer, Baldwin recoils in shock after being told that Hutchins did not survive the shooting.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
26 Feb. 2025
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When Johnson was elected in early 2023, Chicago and the rest of the nation were still recoiling from the trauma of the pandemic, school and business lockdowns, and waves of street violence.—
Will Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Shuffling feet, frowns or darting eyes signal discomfort and anxiety.—
Bryan Robinson,
Forbes,
14 Jan. 2025
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Below are some of the stocks JPMorgan frowns on: Vaccine maker Novavax is rated underweight by JPMorgan analysts.—
Pia Singh,
CNBC,
13 Jan. 2025
Verb
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As a job seeker, understanding what makes recruiters and hiring managers cringe could mean the difference between a job offer and a generic rejection email.—
Caroline Castrillon,
Forbes,
2 Mar. 2025
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Woman's Awkward Handshake Caught on Camera By Alyce Collins Life and Trends Reporter Newsweek Is A Trust Project Member news article 0 Internet users were left cringing in unison by a woman's awkward encounter with a fellow gym-goer that was caught on camera.—
Matt Robison,
Newsweek,
18 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Dave comes off like a human scowl, and requires little of Liu besides completely tamping down any sense of natural charisma the Shang-Chi star has.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
28 Feb. 2025
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What Aimee Lou Wood conveys with an energetic smile and exclamation, Walton Goggins portrays with a scowl and an expletive.—
Proma Khosla,
IndieWire,
16 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Foxes use a variety of calls, including barks, howls, yaps, and growls.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
4 Mar. 2025
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Objects are often askew and out of frame, and everyday sounds like a toilet flush or blinds being pulled assume a low, staticky growl, as though frights fueled by childish imagination.—
Gayle Sequeira,
Vulture,
20 Jan. 2025
Noun
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In her trademark cat-eye glasses, with her bitter-lemon moue, Hoffman, as Moth, is comedy just standing there; Harada, as Mustardseed, a warmth machine.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
24 Oct. 2021
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Not just any moue, either, but a supermoue—a whole cultural attitude distilled into a single boffff.—
Anthony Lane,
The New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2020
Cite this Entry
“Wince.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wince. Accessed 15 Mar. 2025.
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