SHRINK BACK

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does shrink back mean? 

• SHRINK BACK (verb)
  The verb SHRINK BACK has 1 sense:

1. pull away from a source of disgust or fear

  Familiarity information: SHRINK BACK used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SHRINK BACK (verb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Pull away from a source of disgust or fear

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

retract; shrink back

Hypernyms (to "shrink back" is one way to...):

cringe; flinch; funk; quail; recoil; shrink; squinch; wince (draw back, as with fear or pain)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

 Context examples 

I saw him set it down, look at the picture she was so like, put his hand to his forehead, and shrink back in his elbow-chair.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Halfway down the block, he saw a man in a long overcoat shrink back into a doorway.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

She seemed for an instant to wish to shrink back inside the house again; and then, seeing how useless all concealment must be, she came forward, with a very white face and frightened eyes which belied the smile upon her lips.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)