cringe away from (someone or something)
To move away from someone or something, usually out of fear. I cringed away from the snake and prayed that it wouldn't see me. I cringed away from the window after I heard that loud bang outside. The child cringed away from the teacher after he raised his hand in anger.
cringe before (someone or something)
To shrink away from someone or something, usually out of fear. I cringed before my dad when he caught me sneaking in after curfew. Once it became clear that the teacher knew I had plagiarized, I could only cringe before her. I cringed before the creepy guy who wouldn't stop staring at me and practically leapt onto the train when it arrived!
cringe from (someone or something)
To shrink back from someone or something, especially out of fear. I cringed from the snake and prayed that it wouldn't see me. The child cringed from the teacher after he raised his hand in anger. I cringed from the window after I heard that loud bang outside.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
cringe away from someone or something
and cringe from someone or somethingto pull back or away from someone or something, as from fear. The child cringed away from the teacher. Why did you cringe away from the dentist's chair? The cat cringed from the fire. The child cringed from the huge dog.
cringe before someone or something
to cower or recoil in the presence of someone or something. Jeff cringed before the wrath of the policeman.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.