american english - Usage of the verb "squinch" in AmEng


Collins American English Dictionary says:



squinch (skwɪntʃ)


(US)


transitive verb



  1. to squint (the eyes); squinched up her eyes in disgust. M-W



2.



a. to pucker or screw up (the face, nose, brow, etc.); Jonathan squinched his face into a grimace. Google Books


b. to squeeze or compress; She squinched the paper up in an angry twist and stood to throw it into the stove Google Books; Robert squinched the ketchup bottle, trying to get the last bit out.


intransitive verb




  1. to squint, pucker, or contort




  2. to crouch down or draw oneself together so as to seem smaller; I squinched down under the sheet; The man squinched down to fit under the table (Source: American Literature Unit 11 Vocab Notes.)




  3. to flinch




Word Origin: probably blend of squint and pinch


First Known Use: 1835


Example Sentences Including "squinch:"


Cooper saw her squinch up her eyes, trying to make out who was standing outside her kitchen window.


An unhappy smile is still a smile, insofar as the corners of the mouth are drawn back or upturned. However, the eyebrows may be furrowed, and the eyes may be squinched or teary. Also, the lips tend to be pressed together, rather than relaxed as in a happy smile. ELU



My question is, how do native speakers of AmEng use the verb squinch in the senses supported above by CAED?


In addition, what's the difference between using either "squinch" or "squint/flinch" as in the following examples:



She squinched (up) her eyes, trying to make out who was standing outside.


She squinted her eyes, trying to make out who was standing outside.



-and-



The driver squinched as the sun hit his windshield.


The driver squinted as the sun hit his windshield.



-and-



The children squinched so as to scare each other.


The children squinted so as to scare each other.



-and-



He squinched as the cold water struck him.


He flinched as the cold water struck him.



-and-



She squinched when they showed the slaughtering of the calf.


She flinched when they showed the slaughtering of the calf.




Answer



It seems to me that squint describes the action of the facial muscles in a neutral way, whereas squinch up is used in contexts where the speaker wants to characterize or emphasize how the person's face looks when they are squinting. The up draws attention to the appearance of the facial musculature.


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