flinch

Plural: flinches

Noun

a reflex response to sudden pain
A reflexive jerking away.
The slipping of the foot from a ball, when attempting to give a tight croquet.

Verb

Verb Forms: flinched, flinching, flinches

To draw back involuntarily from pain or fear.
draw back, as with fear or pain
- "she flinched when they showed the slaughtering of the calf"
To make a sudden, involuntary movement in response to a (usually negative) stimulus; to cringe; to blench.
To dodge (a question), to avoid an unpleasant task or duty
To let the foot slip from a ball, when attempting to give a tight croquet.
Alternative form of flense.

Examples

My eye doctor hates the flinch I have every time he tries to get near my eyes.
My opponent didn’t flinch, even when I played a 70-point word.

Origin / Etymology

From Middle French flenchir (“to bend”), of Germanic origin. Compare Middle High German lenken (“to bend”). Attested in English since the 16th century.

Synonyms

cringe, funk, quail, recoil, shrink, squinch, wince

Scrabble Score: 14

flinch: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
flinch: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
flinch: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 16

flinch: valid Words With Friends Word