crouched; crouching; crouches
1
a
: to lower the body stance especially by bending the legs
The sprinter crouched and was ready to go.
b
: to lie close to the ground with the legs bent
… a pair of cats, crouching on the brink of a fight.—
Aldous Huxley
Aldous Huxley2
: to bend or bow servilely : cringe
3
: to stand at a low height
Cottages crouched along the river.
: to bow especially in humility or fear : bend
The dog crouched its head.
crouch
noun
Examples of crouch in a Sentence
She crouched down, trying to get a closer look at the spider.
The lion crouched in the tall grass, waiting to attack the gazelle.
Recent Examples on the Web
My first glimpse of a gorilla was brief, a large male on the path ahead, crouching, his fists pressed into the soil.
—Holden Frith, TheWeek, 9 Jan. 2026
As Rathbun and other officers retreated, Webster clenched both fists, crouched into a linebacker’s stance, and charged into Rathbun, knocking him to the ground.
—Jamie Thompson, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
In the black-and-white shot, Stewart, 35, and Meyer, 38 — still in their casual wedding attire — can be seen crouching down next to each other while happily petting their dog.
—Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026
It’s crouched like a tiger about to spring, cleverly disguising itself as on the verge of a recession so its prey—presumably all the economic experts telling us we’re headed to economic hell in a handbasket—will be caught off-guard.
—William W Bedsworth, Oc Register, 4 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crouch
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.
Holden Frith, TheWeek, 9 Jan. 2026
As Rathbun and other officers retreated, Webster clenched both fists, crouched into a linebacker’s stance, and charged into Rathbun, knocking him to the ground.
—Jamie Thompson, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
In the black-and-white shot, Stewart, 35, and Meyer, 38 — still in their casual wedding attire — can be seen crouching down next to each other while happily petting their dog.
—Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026
It’s crouched like a tiger about to spring, cleverly disguising itself as on the verge of a recession so its prey—presumably all the economic experts telling us we’re headed to economic hell in a handbasket—will be caught off-guard.
—William W Bedsworth, Oc Register, 4 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crouch
Cite this Entry
“Crouch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crouch. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share