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
  • Your value lies in being pretty, silent, submissive and unfailingly supportive of men.
    Marie Bostwick, People.com, 14 Apr. 2025
  • Trump was demanding deference from Zelenskyy to show his inferior and submissive position as a recipient of U.S. aid and military support.
    Shannon Bow O'Brien, The Conversation, 25 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Where Chelsea’s domestic overseers have been largely acquiescent to their accounting ingenuity, the same can’t be said abroad.
    Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2025
  • 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
Adjective
  • Avoiding is unassertive and uncooperative, where an individual tends to give up on their own needs and acquiesce to the desires of others by disengaging from the situation altogether.
    Ellen Choi, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025
  • Accommodating, which is unassertive and cooperative, prioritizes the needs and preferences of others over one’s own in order to maintain harmony.
    Ellen Choi, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Some students are now reconsidering plans to remain in the U.S., while others are adjusting future plans to avoid travel and stay compliant, The Associated Press reported.
    Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 May 2025
  • Here’s the truth: Your accountant might keep you compliant.
    Kyle Hollenbeck, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
Adjective
  • His resigned air in the press conference felt like a man who had too much to juggle to cross over the line first.
    Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025
  • In recent weeks, a number of artists canceled planned appearances and resigned positions associated with the center.
    Julia Jacobs, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Judges tend to be highly deferential to the privacy claims raised by these educational institutions.
    Holly Yan, CNN Money, 10 May 2025
  • Newsom’s deferential tone toward far-right guests like Charlie Kirk and Michael Savage—including agreeing with Kirk’s stance on banning transgender athletes from women’s sports—has alienated progressive allies and LGBTQ+ advocates, undermining his reputation as a champion of LGBTQ+ rights[1][7][9].
    Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 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 Jun. 2025.

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