blanch at (something)
To balk or hesitate when faced with something unpleasant. This phrase can also include or describe one's visible paleness, as to "blanch" something means to whiten it. All of my friends ran into the creepy haunted house, but I blanched at the sight of it. Stella blanched at the plate of cooked ants that had been set before her.
blanch at something
Fig. to cringe at something; to become pale at the thought of something. Jill blanched at the thought of swimming in that cold water. Lily blanched at the sight before her.