crouched; crouching; crouches

intransitive verb

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
2
: to bend or bow servilely : cringe
3
: to stand at a low height
Cottages crouched along the river.

transitive verb

: 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
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.
The photos show a smiling Cutler crouching over a dead giant sable antelope — a massive hoofed mammal known for its large, curved horns. David Matthews, New York Daily News, 15 July 2025 Costa Rica offers the stuff of vacation advertisements: horses galloping on a white-sand beach, surfers crouched in an enormous barrel wave, sea turtles nesting near the ocean. AFAR Media, 11 July 2025 There was a bit of confusion at first among my special ed students because there were chairs along the wall where they were supposed to be crouching. Sally Ventura june 23, Literary Hub, 23 June 2025 Kate made her first visit to Tŷ Hafan in January, spending more time than she was scheduled, crouching down, talking to youngsters and their families and joining in with the games. Simon Perry, People.com, 20 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for crouch

Word History

Etymology

Middle English

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of crouch was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Crouch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crouch. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

crouch

verb
: to stoop or bend low with the arms and legs close to the body
crouch noun

More from Merriam-Webster on crouch

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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