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# flinch

verb (flinch, flinches, flinched, flinching); noun (a flinch)

«flinch» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. To flinch is to make a small, quick movement backwards or away because of pain, fear or surprise. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/flinch/#m1)
2. Not to flinch from something means to face it bravely without avoiding it. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/flinch/#m2)

### In the lessons

In stories, a character flinches when a door slams or someone raises a hand, showing fear. In everyday life, children may flinch at an injection. In sport, a brave goalkeeper does not flinch. Phrases: «without flinching», «didn't flinch», «flinch from a task».

### Examples

- She flinched when the nurse gave her the injection. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/flinch/#x1)
- He didn't flinch when the ball flew at him. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/flinch/#x2)
- The dog flinched at the sound of fireworks. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/flinch/#x3)
- She faced the bully without flinching. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/flinch/#x4)
- He gave a little flinch when I touched the bruise. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/flinch/#x5)
- The firefighter never flinched from danger. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/flinch/#x6)
- The ogre thought to terrify his foe, but Watanabe never flinched. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/flinch/#x7)

### Note

Regular verb: flinched. Noun: a flinch. Similar: wince (a face of pain), recoil.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «flinch» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/flinch/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«flinch» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/flinch.html) on Mova free.