How to Use wince in a Sentence

wince

verb
  • James stretched his neck and winced.
    — Literary Hub, 18 June 2026
  • Ohtani spun and winced but then strode straight to first base.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2026
  • Forrest pushed it and winced as tear gas sprayed.
    — James Verini, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
  • At times, she’s been shown wincing on the bench.
    — Hailey Salvian, New York Times, 13 May 2026
  • Provorov winced, later iced the wrist and didn’t miss a shift.
    — Sam Donnellon, Philly.com, 20 Dec. 2017
  • Even some on the right have winced at the politics.
    — Newsweek Editors, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025
  • Charleigh inwardly winced and froze in place, hand still on the knob.
    — Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 20 Jan. 2026
  • Grunloh winced when asked about the team’s struggles.
    — Rick Armstrong, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
  • There was no wincing in pain and there were no awkward steps to try and avoid it.
    — Ryan Divish, The Seattle Times, 18 Feb. 2019
  • Towns, a righty, winced and grabbed his shooting hand but remained in the game.
    — Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 14 Jan. 2025
  • Some tech insiders winced at the nickname, which had not been in use.
    — Nitasha Tiku, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2023
  • Amalie winced like a woman with a hangover, looked out the window.
    — Sarah Braunstein, The New Yorker, 21 July 2024
  • At that his dad laughed heartily while his mother winced at the F-bomb.
    — Los Angeles Times, 18 Oct. 2019
  • The chefs, visibly wincing, could not match her vibe any less.
    — Caroline Framke, Vulture, 25 Apr. 2025
  • Hearing the premise, people tend to laugh or wince — sometimes both.
    — Jenelle Riley, Variety, 4 Aug. 2022
  • Duncan winces, then again attempts to change the subject.
    — Matt Cabral, Entertainment Weekly, 1 June 2026
  • Each groaned, sighed and winced when asked about their choices for president this year.
    — Laura Schulte, Journal Sentinel, 1 Apr. 2024
  • Bryan winces after weighing in at 597 lbs.
    — Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 9 Dec. 2025
  • For children and adults who wince at the sight of needles, a skin patch could be a less painful and scary option.
    — Emily Mullin, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Oct. 2021
  • And many on the gun control side no doubt winced at the damage to a core talking point for the movement.
    — Chris Stirewalt, Fox News, 28 Mar. 2018
  • The two of them winced when a gunman raised his rifle with one hand into the air and let loose a salvo.
    — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 9 Dec. 2024
  • Lina winces at the sound of Jaya munching on an apple, made worse by the static on the line.
    — Hazlitt, 8 Oct. 2025
  • When your lead character doesn’t even wince when a bullet is shot through her upper arm, what are the stakes?
    — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 16 July 2021
  • Next to her is a wincing Michel, who appears to be recoiling at the sound.
    — Brandon Griggs, CNN, 30 May 2017
  • Many liberals have warned about this, and so many must wince as the fruits of their labor turn bitter in their mouths.
    — John Kass, Twin Cities, 4 May 2017
  • After rounding third, Stanton appeared to wince on his way to the plate.
    — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 23 June 2024
  • That’s our job, to bring up the uncomfortable and talk about the topics people wince at.
    — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 10 Sep. 2025
  • There was a point in the game when Johnson got up slow from a play and was wincing in pain on the sideline.
    — Carlos Monarrez, Detroit Free Press, 23 Dec. 2019
  • The pianist winced at the bassist, and the saxophonist struggled to find any space in the rhythm.
    — Ariel Katz, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024
  • Those seeking to curbing reliance on gasoline may wince at the findings.
    — Frank Witsil, Freep.com, 17 Nov. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wince.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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