1
2
as in to distort
to twist (something) out of a natural or normal shape or condition
squinched up her eyes in disgust
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to flinch
to draw back in fear, pain, or disgust
didn't squinch a bit when the intruder pulled a knife on him
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of squinch
Judith H. Dobrzynski, WSJ, 4 May 2018
Here, she's added parted lips, slightly sucked-in cheeks, and a subtle chin tilt on top of her master squinch.
—Chelsea Peng, Marie Claire, 1 Oct. 2015
Brick squinches, here decorated with windows and patterns mimicking those below, are not unique to the Samanid mausoleum.
—Judith H. Dobrzynski, WSJ, 4 May 2018
Take Karlie Kloss for example, who at Tuesday night's Paper Towns premiere, showed off her propensity for a professional squinch.
—Lauren Valenti, Marie Claire, 23 July 2015
Mary Carole McCauley, baltimoresun.com, 18 Jan. 2022
To deepen the illusion that life is just one big fashion spread, we've been trained to 1) smize, 2) duck face, 3) squinch, and now, 4) fish gape.
—Chelsea Peng, Marie Claire, 1 Oct. 2015
Striking a more calculated pose, Kloss squinches her eyes, which aids in further carving out her high cheekbones and defining her jawline.
—Lauren Valenti, Marie Claire, 23 July 2015
Verb
First, atop the cube sits an octagonal structure with arched squinches angled across each corner.
—Judith H. Dobrzynski, WSJ, 4 May 2018
Here, she's added parted lips, slightly sucked-in cheeks, and a subtle chin tilt on top of her master squinch.
—Chelsea Peng, Marie Claire, 1 Oct. 2015
Brick squinches, here decorated with windows and patterns mimicking those below, are not unique to the Samanid mausoleum.
—Judith H. Dobrzynski, WSJ, 4 May 2018
Take Karlie Kloss for example, who at Tuesday night's Paper Towns premiere, showed off her propensity for a professional squinch.
—Lauren Valenti, Marie Claire, 23 July 2015
Noun
Some boys and girls look directly at the camera, while others squinch up their faces.
—Mary Carole McCauley, baltimoresun.com, 18 Jan. 2022
To deepen the illusion that life is just one big fashion spread, we've been trained to 1) smize, 2) duck face, 3) squinch, and now, 4) fish gape.
—Chelsea Peng, Marie Claire, 1 Oct. 2015
Striking a more calculated pose, Kloss squinches her eyes, which aids in further carving out her high cheekbones and defining her jawline.
—Lauren Valenti, Marie Claire, 23 July 2015
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squinch
Verb
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The photos show a smiling Cutler crouching over a dead giant sable antelope — a massive hoofed mammal known for its large, curved horns.—
David Matthews,
New York Daily News,
15 July 2025
-
Costa Rica offers the stuff of vacation advertisements: horses galloping on a white-sand beach, surfers crouched in an enormous barrel wave, sea turtles nesting near the ocean.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
11 July 2025
Verb
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Over time, that line has been distorted beyond recognition, used more to silence churches than to protect them.—
Lauren Cooley,
Sun Sentinel,
21 July 2025
-
First, Jane Street intentionally distorted the less liquid cash market to profit on the more liquid options market.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
18 July 2025
Verb
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But thousands of miles away, executives at China’s leading autonomous driving firms didn’t flinch.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
15 July 2025
-
Sipp slightly flinched his left arm before throwing a pitch to Emmanuel Burriss, allowing Miguel Tejada to score and sending San Francisco to its fourth straight win.—
Houston Mitchell,
Los Angeles Times,
25 June 2025
Noun
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Even though the couple filmed the skit after class to be respectful of the other participants, the sweat and grimaces weren’t just for show.—
Ashley Vega,
People.com,
9 June 2025
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At one point, Hunt emerges onto London’s Trafalgar Square and grimaces at the sight of a massive protest.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
14 May 2025
Verb
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But there was another, more immediate problem: Several Republican holdouts were huddled somewhere in the sprawling Capitol complex, refusing to come to the chamber to cast their votes.—
Jay O'Brien,
ABC News,
22 July 2025
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Some neighbors stood eating on top of the hood of a car, while others huddled with American Red Cross volunteers who arrived to help.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
10 July 2025
Verb
-
When the sun comes out, so does the French curl braiding hair.—
Ranyechi Udemezue,
Vogue,
22 July 2025
-
Cyrus pulled her dark brown tresses into the half-up, half-down hairdo, leaving her short, thick fringe flat against her forehead while longer side pieces curled in front of her ears.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
22 July 2025
Verb
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As the prosecutor described the fatal injuries her daughter faced, Scarbrough bowed her head and winced.—
David Clarey,
jsonline.com,
3 July 2025
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Dakota Johnson is more charming than usual here but moves like someone whose feet have never touched the ground, who has never winced looking at a bill.—
Angelica Jade Bastién,
Vulture,
25 June 2025
Noun
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The muscles around his eyes darted inward, and a frown overtook his face.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 July 2025
-
Beantown frowns at each breaking news sounder on talk radio or ESPN insider post on social media.—
Bill Speros,
Boston Herald,
2 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Squinch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squinch. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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