RECOIL: Synonyms and Related Words. What is Another Word for RECOIL?

Need another word that means the same as “recoil”? Find 42 synonyms and 30 related words for “recoil” in this overview.

The synonyms of “Recoil” are: bounce, bound, rebound, resile, reverberate, ricochet, spring, take a hop, kick, kick back, cringe, flinch, funk, quail, shrink, squinch, wince, backfire, backlash, draw back, jump back, spring back, jerk back, pull back, feel revulsion at, feel disgust at, feel abhorrence at, be unable to bear, be unable to stomach, shrink from, shy away from, balk at, hesitate at, fly back, rebound on, come back on, affect badly, repercussion, kickback

Recoil as a Noun

Definitions of "Recoil" as a noun

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “recoil” as a noun can have the following definitions:

• A movement back from an impact.
• The backward jerk of a gun when it is fired.
• The action of recoiling.

Synonyms of "Recoil" as a noun (5 Words)

backlash	Recoil arising between parts of a mechanism. A public backlash against racism.
kick	Chiefly in rugby a player of specified kicking ability. The team s kicking was excellent.
kickback	A sudden forceful recoil. The ruling party depends on contributions and kickbacks.
rebound	The act of securing possession of the rebounding basketball after a missed shot. He is still on the rebound from his wife s death.
repercussion	A movement back from an impact. His declaration had unforeseen repercussions.

Usage Examples of "Recoil" as a noun

• His body jerked with the recoil of the rifle.

Recoil as a Verb

Definitions of "Recoil" as a verb

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “recoil” as a verb can have the following definitions:

• Come back to the originator of an action with an undesired effect.
• Rebound or spring back through force of impact or elasticity.
• Suddenly spring or flinch back in fear, horror, or disgust.
• (of an action) have an adverse reactive effect on (the originator.
• Spring back, as from a forceful thrust.
• Spring back; spring away from an impact.
• Feel fear, horror, or disgust at the thought of something.
• Draw back, as with fear or pain.
• (of a gun) move abruptly backwards as a reaction on firing a bullet, shell, or other missile.

Synonyms of "Recoil" as a verb (37 Words)

affect badly	Act physically on; have an effect upon.
backfire	Emit a loud noise as a result of undergoing a backfire. A car backfired in the road and shoppers ducked instinctively.
backlash	Come back to the originator of an action with an undesired effect. The political movie backlashed on the Democrats.
balk at	Refuse to comply.
be unable to bear	Work in a specific place, with a specific subject, or in a specific function.
be unable to stomach	Be priced at.
bounce	Hit something so that it bounces. The gangplank bounced under his confident step.
bound	Move forward by leaps and bounds. Shares bounded ahead in early dealing.
come back on	Be received.
cringe	Bend one’s head and body in fear or apprehension or in a servile manner. He cringed away from the blow.
draw back	Steep; pass through a strainer.
feel abhorrence at	Pass one’s hands over the sexual organs of.
feel disgust at	Undergo passive experience of.
feel revulsion at	Be felt or perceived in a certain way.
flinch	Draw back, as with fear or pain. She flinched when they showed the slaughtering of the calf.
fly back	Cause to fly or float.
funk	Draw back, as with fear or pain. I could have seen him this morning but I funked it.
hesitate at	Interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing.
jerk back	Pull, or move with a sudden movement.
jump back	Bypass.
kick	Chiefly in rugby score a goal by a kick. He kicked the door open.
kick back	Spring back, as from a forceful thrust.
pull back	Operate when rowing a boat.
quail	Draw back, as with fear or pain.
rebound	(of an event or action) have an unexpected adverse consequence for (someone, especially the person responsible for it. Nicholas s tricks are rebounding on him.
rebound on	Spring back; spring away from an impact.
resile	Abandon a position or a course of action. The rubber tubes resile.
reverberate	Spring back; spring away from an impact. The waves reverberate as far away as the end of the building.
ricochet	Appear to move with a series of ricochets. They fired off a couple of rounds ricocheting the bullets against a wall.
shrink	Reduce in size; reduce physically. Hot water will shrink the sweater.
shrink from	Wither, as with a loss of moisture.
shy away from	Throw quickly.
spring	Move rapidly or suddenly from a constrained position by or as if by the action of a spring. The president sought to spring the hostages.
spring back	Spring back spring away from an impact.
squinch	Cross one’s eyes as if in strabismus.
take a hop	Interpret something in a certain way; convey a particular meaning or impression.
wince	Make a face indicating disgust or dislike. She winced when she heard his pompous speech.

Usage Examples of "Recoil" as a verb

• Ronni felt herself recoil at the very thought.
• The rifle recoiled.
• The muscle has the ability to recoil.
• He recoiled in horror.
• If man upsets his planetary ecosystem it will automatically recoil upon him.

Associations of "Recoil" (30 Words)

backlash	Degree of play between parts of a mechanism. Typical gearbox backlash in these systems is 2.
boggle	Overcome with amazement. You never boggle at plain speaking.
bounce	Hit something so that it bounces. The bank bounced the cheque.
cringe	Experience an inward shiver of embarrassment or disgust. He cringed away from the blow.
deaden	Make less lively, intense, or vigorous; impair in vigor, force, activity, or sensation. Ether was used to deaden the pain.
decrease	The amount by which something decreases. The population of the area has decreased radically.
depletion	The act of decreasing something markedly. The depletion of the ozone layer.
diminish	Lessen the authority, dignity, or reputation of. The trial has aged and diminished him.
downgrade	Reduce to a lower grade, rank, or level of importance. Downgrades by debt rating agencies outnumber upgrades by five to one.
duck	A female duck. A tangy stew of duck lamb and sausage.
dwindle	Diminish gradually in size, amount, or strength. Traffic has dwindled to a trickle.
fade	(of a radio signal) gradually lose intensity. He scores on a beautiful fade pass to the back of the end zone.
flinch	An act of flinching. She flinched when they showed the slaughtering of the calf.
forth	From a particular thing or place or position forth is obsolete. Go forth and preach.
languish	Become feeble. The prisoner has been languishing for years in the dungeon.
leap	Cause to jump or leap. He leapt on to the parapet.
lessen	Make or become less; diminish. The warmth of the afternoon lessened.
pounce	The act of pouncing. As he watched a mink pounced on the vole.
provoke	Evoke or provoke to appear or occur. A teacher can provoke you into working harder.
rebound	The act of securing possession of the rebounding basketball after a missed shot. They revealed a big rebound in profits for last year.
retrench	(of an organization or individual) reduce costs or spending in response to economic difficulty. Right wing parties which seek to retrench the welfare state.
shrink	Become smaller or draw together. Hot water will shrink the sweater.
shrivel	Decrease in size, range, or extent. As American interest shrivelled so did the government s.
spring	Spring back spring away from an impact. He might spring a few shillings more.
squat	An exercise in which a person squats down and rises again while holding a barbell across one s shoulders. The building squatted low.
wane	(of a state or feeling) decrease in vigour or extent; become weaker. Interest in the project waned.
wilt	Any of a number of fungal or bacterial diseases of plants characterized by wilting of the foliage. Lady Beresford was beginning to wilt as she greeted the long line of guests.
wince	A reflex response to sudden pain. He winced at the disgust in her voice.
wither	Wither as with a loss of moisture. The flesh had withered away.
wizened	Shrivelled or wrinkled with age. A wizened weather beaten old man.