Synonyms/Hypernyms (Ordered by Estimated Frequency) of verb cringe

2 senses of cringe

Sense 1
flinch, squinch, funk, cringe, shrink, wince, recoil, quail -- (draw back, as with fear or pain; "she flinched when they showed the slaughtering of the calf")
       => move -- (move so as to change position, perform a nontranslational motion; "He moved his hand slightly to the right")

Sense 2
fawn, crawl, creep, cringe, cower, grovel -- (show submission or fear)
       => bend, flex -- (form a curve; "The stick does not bend")