quail

verb

Definition of quailnext
1
as in to recoil
to draw back in fear, pain, or disgust we quailed when the waiter unexpectedly presented us with a hindquarter of frog's legs

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to cringe
to draw back or crouch down in fearful submission brave resisters who did not quail before the tyrant's iron hand

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word quail distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of quail are blench, flinch, recoil, shrink, and wince. While all these words mean "to draw back in fear or distaste," quail suggests shrinking and cowering in fear.

quailed before the apparition

When is it sensible to use blench instead of quail?

Although the words blench and quail have much in common, blench implies fainthearted flinching.

stood their ground without blenching

Where would flinch be a reasonable alternative to quail?

The meanings of flinch and quail largely overlap; however, flinch implies a failure to endure pain or face something dangerous or frightening with resolution.

faced her accusers without flinching

When would recoil be a good substitute for quail?

The synonyms recoil and quail are sometimes interchangeable, but recoil implies a start or movement away through shock, fear, or disgust.

recoiled at the suggestion of stealing

When could shrink be used to replace quail?

In some situations, the words shrink and quail are roughly equivalent. However, shrink suggests an instinctive recoil through sensitiveness, scrupulousness, or cowardice.

shrank from the unpleasant truth

When can wince be used instead of quail?

The words wince and quail can be used in similar contexts, but wince suggests a slight involuntary physical reaction (such as a start or recoiling).

winced in pain

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for quail
  1. recoil
  2. cringe
  3. flinch
  4. wince
Verb
  • Advertisement Advertisement Macron briefly recoils, turns his head, and then smiles and waves at the press.
    — Solcyré Burga, Time, 26 May 2025
  • There’s no doubt that Trump and congressional Republicans recoil at the left-wing slant of PBS and NPR.
    — Editorial, Boston Herald, 24 May 2025
Definition of recoil
Verb
  • The mullet was all the rage in the 1970s and 1980s, and many people who had that hairstyle often cringe, laugh or both when looking at pictures of themselves from those days.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 22 May 2025
  • That clip, featuring Jennifer rapping along without missing a beat while her daughter cringes, drew another 1 million views and more than 50,200 likes.
    — Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 May 2025
Definition of cringe
Verb
  • When Afrikaner apartheid was instituted in 1948, Washington didn’t flinch.
    — Time, Time, 22 May 2025
  • The game was scoreless until Amarillo scored twice in the top of the seventh, but Aledo didn’t flinch.
    — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 May 2025
Definition of flinch
Verb
  • Goertzel winced, because the question is challenging.
    — Daniel R. Depetris, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 May 2025
  • Not just my face but also the faces of all middle-aged women who foolishly smiled, laughed, winced, frowned or squinted between birth and the year 2025.
    — Gwen Rockwood, Arkansas Online, 22 May 2025
Definition of wince
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

quai
quail
quailed
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“Quail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quail. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on quail

Nglish: Translation of quail for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about quail

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