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"recoil" is also used as a crossword clue. If that's what you saw, the answer is often flinch (6 letters).
Definitions
spring back, as from a forceful thrust
Word origin
From Old French reculer. Further from Latin re- + cūlus.
Used in a sentence
“the recoil of nature, or of the blood”
“The recoil from formalism is skepticism.”
“He recoiled in disgust when he saw the mess.”
Source: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0
Used as a crossword answer1 curated clues
01“Kick back”6 letters
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