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
Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 13 Mar. 2025
By the end of the performance, Andress could be seen tilting her head down, wincing.
—Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 5 Mar. 2025
The rapper could be seen slapping Rhodes hard on the side of the face, and Rhodes winced as soon as he was hit.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 2025
Then, midway through the second set, the defending Australian Open champion winced when running down a ball from the Danish No. 13 seed on his backhand side.
—Charlie Eccleshare, The Athletic, 20 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wince
Verb
Everyone on the Duke sidelines held their collective breath as the star winced in pain.
—Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 13 Mar. 2025
By the end of the performance, Andress could be seen tilting her head down, wincing.
—Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 5 Mar. 2025
The rapper could be seen slapping Rhodes hard on the side of the face, and Rhodes winced as soon as he was hit.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 2025
Then, midway through the second set, the defending Australian Open champion winced when running down a ball from the Danish No. 13 seed on his backhand side.
—Charlie Eccleshare, The Athletic, 20 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wince
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wince
Verb
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When UConn, national champs the last two years, appears on the screen on Selection Sunday, probably as a No. 8 seed, their first-, and potential second-round opponent may flinch, for a moment, at seeing the Huskies’ brand in their bracket.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
15 Mar. 2025
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Witnesses to Utah’s last firing squad execution recently recalled to NBC News the sound of rapid gunfire in the chamber and how the inmate, Ronnie Lee Gardner, appeared to flinch and move his arm after being shot.—
Tim Stelloh,
NBC News,
7 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
-
Markets recoiled at the developments, sending stocks into a vicious two-day sell-off that put the Nasdaq Composite, home to powerhouse Silicon Valley names that Trump has been courting in the early days of his second term, into a bear market.—
Erin Doherty,Annika Kim Constantino,Yun Li,
CNBC,
5 Apr. 2025
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When others recoiled in disgust from sick and suffering people, the Buddha cared for them, showing that healing and dignity come from love.—
Rabbi Dana Magat,
The Mercury News,
18 Mar. 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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Danny and Xander have a messy romantic history that would make any HR department cringe.—
Nina Metz,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2025
-
Seniors from some of the nation’s most expensive high schools travel each year to a luxury resort in the Bahamas — trips that make school administrators cringe.—
Dionne Searcey,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2025
Noun
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A little over an hour later, Zalatoris walked out of the scoring building with a tight scowl.—
Brody Miller,
The Athletic,
16 Mar. 2025
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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
Noun
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Some Trump fans love Musk but can't give up the growl of an engine.—
Camila Domonoske,
NPR,
13 Mar. 2025
-
Foxes use a variety of calls, including barks, howls, yaps, and growls.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
4 Mar. 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 16 Apr. 2025.
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