Make oneself fearfully small (6)

I believe the answer is:

cringe

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'make' is the definition.
The definition and answer can be both to do with motion as well as being verbs in their base form.
Perhaps you can see an association between them that I don't see?

I don't understand how the rest of the clue works.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for cringe that I've seen before include "Crouch" , "Start" , "Cower in embarrassment or fear" , "Shrink away in fear" , "Recoil in embarrassment" .)

I've seen this clue in The Globe and Mail.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.