to spring back or flinch away from an impact or force
example
When the loud noise happened, the dog began to recoil in fear.
synonyms
jump backflinchpull back
word origin — The word 'recoil' comes from the Middle English 'recoilen', derived from the Old French 'recollider', meaning to spring back or rebound.
Proficient — Set 57
Set 57 of Proficient covers 5 words: recoil, commingle, deploy, enervate, bilk. Each entry below includes its definition, an example sentence, and synonyms — practice them with the interactive cards above.
recoil · verb/rɪˈkoɪl/
to spring back or flinch away from an impact or force
When the loud noise happened, the dog began to recoil in fear.
Synonyms: jump back, flinch, pull back
Origin: The word 'recoil' comes from the Middle English 'recoilen', derived from the Old French 'recollider', meaning to spring back or rebound.
commingle · verb/kəˈmɪŋɡl/
to mix or blend together
The teacher asked the students to commingle their ideas during the group project.
Synonyms: mix, blend, combine
Origin: The word 'commingle' comes from the Latin 'commixtus,' which means 'to mix together.'
deploy · verb/dɪˈplɔɪ/
to arrange or utilize resources or personnel for a specific purpose
The manager will deploy the new software to help the team work better.
Synonyms: position, use, arrange
Origin: from the French word 'déployer', meaning 'to unfold'
enervate · verb/ˈɛnərˌveɪt/
to weaken or drain of energy or vitality
The hot weather can enervate even the most energetic people.
Synonyms: weaken, debilitate, exhaust
Origin: from Latin 'enervare', meaning 'to weaken or remove the nerve or strength'
bilk · verb/bɪlk/
to cheat or defraud someone, especially by withholding money or possessions
The con artist tried to bilk old people out of their savings by promising them big returns on investments.
Synonyms: cheat, defraud, swindle
Origin: The word 'bilk' likely originates from the 17th century, possibly derived from the dialectal term 'bilk,' meaning to cheat or frustrate.