flinch
1 of 2verb/flɪntʃ/
Forms:flinches,flinching,flinched,flinched
1
to make a quick and involuntary movement in response to a surprise, pain, or fear
- She often flinches at sudden loud noises.
- Right now, he is flinching as he watches the horror movie.
- When the door slammed, he flinched in surprise.
- While playing, the child was flinching every time the ball came near.
- The unexpected fireworks display caused the dog to flinch and hide under the bed.