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

Example 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 issue then was DeSantis’ marginalizing of Black voting strength in North Florida, forcing a submissive Legislature to swallow his map of congressional districts — an issue that’s the Legislature’s prerogative.
    Steve Bousquet, Sun Sentinel, 1 Feb. 2025
  • What’s more, the deal would very likely provoke a political and military crisis in Ukraine, which Russia could exploit to finally achieve its objective of turning the country into a submissive dominion.
    Elie Tenenbaum, Foreign Affairs, 3 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
  • In an earnings call in January, Musk attributed the delay to U.S. and Chinese restrictions that prevent Tesla from quickly developing a locally compliant version of the driver-assistance software.
    Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 11 Feb. 2025
  • This approach allows brands to expand their reach while fostering loyalty through affiliate networks — ultimately driving growth in a cost-effective, compliant way.
    Joshua Adragna, Rolling Stone, 10 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • While adopting a resigned wait-it-out slouch, a running thread at the summit came down to a simple but actionable question: At what point has the United States entered into a constitutional crisis?
    Philip Elliott, TIME, 24 Feb. 2025
  • 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
Adjective
  • The Trump administration is likely to face legal challenges over the order, but the law that codifies the administration of the foreign service is fairly deferential to the secretary of state.
    Will Steakin, ABC News, 12 Feb. 2025
  • People have occasionally challenged their inclusion on such lists, but courts have been broadly deferential to government claims of national security.
    Byron Tau, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2025
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

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Cite this Entry

“Cowering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cowering. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.

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