quailing

verb

present participle of quail
1
as in flinching
to draw back in fear, pain, or disgust we quailed when the waiter unexpectedly presented us with a hindquarter of frog's legs

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cringing
to draw back or crouch down in fearful submission brave resisters who did not quail before the tyrant's iron hand

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for quailing
  1. flinching
  2. cringing
  3. recoiling
  4. cowering
  5. wincing
Verb
  • One instrument, used without flinching, does what rivals need elaborate machinery to pull off.
    — Jamie Beaton, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
  • Amy Adams’ Anna Bowden — who has a complicated history with Max as his former lawyer — peeks through the curtain to spy on him, flinching as Max insists on snapping his own broken finger into place.
    — Benjamin VanHoose, PEOPLE, 6 July 2026
Definition of flinching
Verb
  • For tips on how to stop cringing about an awkward moment, read our comic.
    — Malaka Gharib, NPR, 18 July 2026
  • Try and get through this one without cringing.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 16 May 2026
Definition of cringing
Verb
  • All of these features make for a wonderfully light-recoiling shotgun.
    — Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 12 Aug. 2026
  • This is typical of Hacks, a series that constantly positions itself to do something emotionally dangerous before recoiling toward a safer version of it.
    — Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 29 May 2026
Definition of recoiling
Verb
  • Bret and Thom run to Susan’s bedroom door, which opens to reveal Debbie and Ryan cowering shirtless before the long-haired intruder.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Democracies are composed of citizens with free will, not subjects cowering at the feet of rulers.
    — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 24 June 2026
Definition of cowering
Verb
  • Otherwise, Makar will be wincing through pain trying to explain the unfathomable, Blackwood will be dropping F-bombs in disbelief and MacKinnon will be ducking reporters despite being the team’s best player.
    — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 11 June 2026
  • Throughout training this week, Bombito was seen wincing when taking tight turns and limping at times following drills.
    — Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 11 June 2026
Definition of wincing
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Cite this Entry

“Quailing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quailing. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on quailing

Nglish: Translation of quailing for Spanish Speakers

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