Make a quick, nervous movement as an instinctive reaction to fear, pain, or surprise.
The child flinched as I touched him.
The sudden loud noise caused him to flinch involuntarily.
She tried not to flinch as the doctor administered the injection.
In the face of danger, the well-trained soldier did not flinch.
The horror movie was so intense that it made the audience flinch in their seats.
