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GRE vocabulary

flinch

verbHigh-frequency wordMore F words

to make a quick, involuntary movement in response to pain or fear; to shrink back

In a sentence

Flinch in a sentence

Here are example sentences showing flinch in a sentence.

She did not flinch when the doctor administered the injection.

The young surgeon did not flinch even as the instructor described the most demanding part of the procedure.

Synonyms
wincerecoilshrinkcringe
Antonyms
advanceendurepersistconfront
Usage & nuance

Using “flinch” well

Flinch denotes an involuntary recoil from pain, fear, or something unpleasant, and figuratively a failure of nerve. It is typically intransitive and often appears in the negative, as in did not flinch, to signal composure.

Common questions

Questions about “flinch

Flinch (verb) means to make a quick, involuntary movement in response to pain or fear; to shrink back
Here is flinch used in an example sentence: "She did not flinch when the doctor administered the injection." Another example: "The young surgeon did not flinch even as the instructor described the most demanding part of the procedure."
Common synonyms for flinch include wince, recoil, shrink, cringe.
Antonyms of flinch include advance, endure, persist, confront.
Clusters with wince, recoil, and cringe, opposed by endure, persist, and confront. Watch the figurative use where flinching means shrinking from a difficult task rather than a physical jerk.
Yes. Flinch is a high-frequency GRE word, so it is worth prioritising as you build your vocabulary.

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