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recoil
verb [I] /rɪˈkɔɪl/Definition
› to move back because of fear or disgust (= dislike or disapproval): He leaned forward to kiss her and she recoiled in horror. I recoiled from the smell and the filth.Making short, sudden movements › to refuse to accept an idea or principle, feeling strong dislike or disapproval: She wondered how it would be to touch him and recoiled at the thought.Reacting and responding
(Definition of recoil verb from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus
© Cambridge University Press)
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You are looking at an entry to do with Reacting and responding, but you might be interested in these topics from the Doing and achieving topic area:
- Abstaining and refraining
- Acting and acts
- Avoiding action
- Becoming better
- Cancelling and interrupting
- Competing and contending (non-sporting)
- Coping and not coping
- Delaying and wasting time
- Describing the leading position
- Efficient and effective
- Expressions telling people to hurry up
- Failing and doing badly
- Failures
- Getting involved for one's own benefit or against others' will
- Hesitating
- Higher and lower points of achievement
- Hurrying and doing things quickly
- Making progress and advancing
- Making things better
- Performing a function
- Potential
- Repeating an action
- Succeeding, achieving and fulfilling
- Success and achievements
- Successful (things or people)
- Surpassing in quality or number
- Taking part and getting involved
- Trying and making an effort
- Unsuccessful (people and things)
- Waiting
- Ways of achieving things
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More Results for “recoil”
SMART Thesaurus: Reacting and responding
Synonyms and related words:
- alert adjective
- and the same to you with (brass) knobs on idiom
- backlash noun
- chain reaction noun
- counteract verb
- countermeasure noun
- go over phrasal verb
- greet verb
- react verb
- reactive adjective
- receive verb (WELCOME)
- reflexive adjective (MOVEMENT)
- reflexively adverb
- respond verb
- response noun
- responsive adjective
- rise to the occasion/challenge idiom
- sensitive adjective (REACTING EASILY)
- shock wave noun
- wake (sb) up phrasal verb (REACT)
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
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