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
  • Relative newcomer Weaving, in particular, delivers a standout performance as Grace—a role that requires her to be, in turn, sweetly submissive, shocked, and terrified, and a tough-as-nails badass in a fight for her life.
    Ars Technica, Ars Technica, 31 Oct. 2024
  • Alice is Zoey’s domme — the dominant partner in the relationship — and Zoey is the sub, or submissive.
    Kayla Levy, Curbed, 11 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
  • General chatbots are often not compliant with the federal law restricting the release of medical information, and the companies behind the bots will frequently advise users not to share sensitive information in their conversations with the bots, Wei added.
    Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 18 Dec. 2024
  • Customer interactions, voluntary surveys and loyalty programs will be critical to create substantial, compliant marketing strategies.
    Jessica Hawthorne-Castro, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • 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
  • The second-year Chicago Bears cornerback let out a resigned sigh and laugh.
    Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2024
Adjective
  • The Oval Office has only one occupant at a time and Trump won't take over until Jan. 20, but Biden has appeared deferential to letting his successor get involved in negotiations and has not pushed back on his efforts to be engaged in talks.
    Andrea Mitchell, NBC News, 13 Dec. 2024
  • Malcolm’s directorial choices diverge from his father’s old-school creative sensibilities; the pacing is faster, the music more dramatic and less deferential to the story’s era.
    Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 10 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • 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
  • Investors are constantly on the prowl to find the highest yielding bonds for the lowest risk.
    Barnet Sherman, Forbes, 17 Sep. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near cowering

Cite this Entry

“Cowering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cowering. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

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