cowering 1 of 2

cowering

2 of 2

verb

present participle of cower
as in cringing
to draw back or crouch down in fearful submission the abused dog always cowered in the presence of its master

Synonyms & Similar Words

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of cowering
Verb
The staff member can be seen cowering down to fend off the attack and then turns and squares up to the irate passenger, who’s wearing a green colored top and army green pants. Michael Dorgan, Fox News, 29 Nov. 2024 The trauma of war is ever-present in Honda's vision, which sees citizens fleeing for their lives and cowering in the rubble of their homes. Katie Rife, EW.com, 18 Oct. 2024 Neither do the cowering members of Slough House. Erik Kain, Forbes, 9 Oct. 2024 Hence the obtuse rabbis, the cowering Uncle Yasha, and, in Aliyah of the 1990s, the naked Russian woman, presumably a prostitute, presenting herself doggy-style. Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 5 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cowering
Adjective
  • The book equates being female with being submissive.
    Brittany Wallman, Miami Herald, 2 Jan. 2025
  • Over time, this dynamic creates a destructive loop, with the dominant partner tightening their grip and the submissive losing their sense of self.
    Mark Travers, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • Netanyahu appears convinced that his country’s security, along with his own political survival, depends on prolonging the military offensives and keeping both Gaza and Lebanon ungovernable, and therefore acquiescent.
    Mohanad Hage Ali, Foreign Affairs, 1 Nov. 2024
  • The young man’s comment was out of line, and my silence felt somehow acquiescent.
    Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 21 Sep. 2024
Adjective
  • Shy and unassertive, she’s often been overlooked by others and kept to herself.
    Yasmine AlSayyad, The New Yorker, 9 Jan. 2023
  • After a time, Patterson’s play-it-down-the-middle approach feels less like the remembrances of a Renaissance man and more like evasive, unassertive hedging.
    Mark Athitakis, Washington Post, 6 June 2022
Adjective
  • By contrast, Frazier took on the role of outmoded power, compliant duty.
    Mikal Gilmore, Rolling Stone, 17 Jan. 2025
  • Relying on donations means that construction materials may not be compliant with building codes and regulations.
    Nora O’Neill, Charlotte Observer, 14 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Suddenly, a season of weekly must-win games and hard conversations gave way to a resigned relaxation.
    Paul Dehner Jr., The Athletic, 27 Dec. 2024
  • Crowds gathering for the Royal Horticultural Society’s Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival on the sprawling palace grounds reached into backpacks for umbrellas with the resigned look of people attending a supremely English occasion designed to be held in sunshine.
    Sophie Elmhirst, The New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2024
Adjective
  • Cannon has long been criticized for being unfairly deferential to Trump as the documents dispute has moved forward.
    Alison Durkee, Forbes, 7 Jan. 2025
  • Without any physical proof of his story, police higher-ups won’t let his deferential boss devote any resources to an investigation.
    Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 26 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • These prices tend to reflect the higher yielding asking price versus the lower yielding bid price.
    Barnet Sherman, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024
  • Net interest income for the quarter was $72.2 million, compared to $62.2 million in the previous year, driven by growth in higher yielding loans, primarily from CCBX.
    Quartz Bot, Quartz, 8 Nov. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near cowering

Cite this Entry

“Cowering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cowering. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.

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