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wince

verb
\ ˈwin(t)s How to pronounce wince (audio) \
winced; wincing

Definition of wince

intransitive verb

: to shrink back involuntarily (as from pain) : flinch
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Other Words from wince

wince noun

Choose the Right Synonym for wince

recoil, shrink, flinch, wince, blench, quail mean to draw back in fear or distaste. recoil implies a start or movement away through shock, fear, or disgust. recoiled at the suggestion of stealing shrink suggests an instinctive recoil through sensitiveness, scrupulousness, or cowardice. shrank from the unpleasant truth flinch implies a failure to endure pain or face something dangerous or frightening with resolution. faced her accusers without flinching wince suggests a slight involuntary physical reaction (such as a start or recoiling). winced in pain blench implies fainthearted flinching. stood their ground without blenching quail suggests shrinking and cowering in fear. quailed before the apparition

Examples of wince in a Sentence

winced at the movie's graphic depiction of combat injuries

Recent Examples on the Web

 All that wining and dining by lobbyists made reformers wince. — George Skelton, The Mercury News, "Skelton: California politicians’ home away from home for 80 years," 20 Aug. 2019 Thames plugs along Some fans have noticed that Eric Thames has been wincing at times on some of his ferocious swings at the plate. — Tom Haudricourt, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Brewers catcher Yasmani Grandal appears on verge of one of his hot streaks at the plate," 24 July 2019 Legacy winced in advance, but this father kissed the little girl’s forehead. — Melody Chiu, PEOPLE.com, "Get a First Look at Kobe Bryant's Upcoming Young Adult Novel Legacy and The Queen," 26 July 2019 From a few feet away, Famila Schio’s playmaker winced. — Joan Niesen, SI.com, "Meet the Vanderquigs: How the Chicago Sky Stars Make Their Unique Relationship Work," 25 July 2019 Even viewers who take their comedy black, without sugar, may wince at the violence that is doled out; Stearns raises laughs and then chokes them off. — Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, "“The Farewell” Mixes Mourning and Revelry," 12 July 2019 David Axelrod, who heads the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics and was a one-time political operative who worked in the Obama administration, offered a wincing take on Mueller’s performance via Twitter. — Lisa Donovan, chicagotribune.com, "The Spin: Mueller testifies about Trimp, er, Trump | Chicago police keep files on public speakers | Obama honored near Mount Rushmore," 24 July 2019 But Whitehead reveals the clandestine atrocities of Nickel Academy with just enough restraint to keep us in a state of wincing dread. — Ron Charles, Dallas News, "In Colson Whitehead's 'The Nickel Boys,' an idealistic black teen learns a harsh reality," 9 July 2019 One of the lasting images of this past season was Looney wincing in pain and gutting through it while playing in the NBA Finals with a first costal cartilage fracture. — Jon Becker, The Mercury News, "Report: Rockets may pursue Warriors’ Kevon Looney," 26 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'wince.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of wince

circa 1748, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for wince

Middle English wynsen to kick out, start, from Anglo-French *wincer, *guincer to shift direction, dodge, by-form of guenchir, probably of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German wenken, wankƍn to totter — more at wench

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More Definitions for wince

wince

verb
How to pronounce wince (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of wince

: to have an expression on your face for a very short time which shows that you are embarrassed or in pain

See the full definition for wince in the English Language Learners Dictionary

wince

verb
\ ˈwins How to pronounce wince (audio) \
winced; wincing

Kids Definition of wince

: to draw back (as from pain)

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More from Merriam-Webster on wince

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with wince

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for wince

Spanish Central: Translation of wince

Nglish: Translation of wince for Spanish Speakers

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