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To suddenly spring or flinch back in fear, horror, or disgust
“He began to pull up his shirt, and the children would recoil in horror at the sight of his scars.”
To feel fear, horror, or disgust at the thought of something
“Some may react with disgust at the idea, recoil at the thought of it, or simply say that it's too strong a word.”
To retreat or withdraw from a (hostile) place or situation
“The smell of rotten chickens causes the invaders to recoil in disgust and allows them to escape.”
To physically jerk or bounce off, especially in a backward motion
“He knew that I was too young and too small, and that the rifle would recoil and bruise or injure my shoulder.”
To have an adverse result, especially one that is the opposite of that expected
“A dictated peace is not a true peace if punitive terms recoil on our own heads.”
To cause a sound to carry and have an echo effect
To fail to do something because of cowardice
To make twisting, squirming movements or contortions of the body
To become excitedly upset or angry
To move with a short, sudden movement
To recur, or break out anew after a dormant period
To move to face in another direction
The action of physically recoiling or jerking
“The recoil of an anti-tank rifle can cause significant damage to the bones and muscles in the arm.”
A sudden movement or gesture of shrinking away
“He awakened with a recoil when he felt the movement of the bed and realized that he was not alone in the room.”
An angry or negative reaction to an event or action
An act of repeating, or going back to, an earlier state or situation
The ability to spring back strongly, or the quality of being flexible
A consequence or ensuing result of some action
A sudden move or jump upwards or forwards
Related Words and Phrases
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