squat

verb

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\ ˈskwät

squatted; squatting

Definition of squat

(Entry 1 of 3)

transitive verb

1 : to cause (oneself) to crouch or sit on the ground

2 : to occupy as a squatter

intransitive verb

1 : to crouch close to the ground as if to escape observation a hare squatting in the grass

2a : to assume or maintain a position in which the body is supported on the feet and the knees are bent so that the buttocks rest on or near the heels squatted by the campfire

b : to exercise by performing a squat (see squat entry 3 sense 3a)

3 : to be or become a squatter squat in an abandoned building

squat

adjective

squatter; squattest

Definition of squat (Entry 2 of 3)

1 : sitting with the haunches close above the heels

2a : low to the ground

b : marked by disproportionate shortness or thickness

squat

noun

Definition of squat (Entry 3 of 3)

1a : the act of squatting

b : the posture of one that squats

2a : a place where one squats

b : the lair of a small animal the squat of a hare

3a : an exercise in which a standing person lowers to a position in which the torso is erect and the knees are deeply bent and then rises to an upright position

Note: A squat can be done while holding weights, with a barbell on the upper back, or without weights.

b weight lifting : a lift involving a squat done while holding a barbell on the shoulders also : a competitive event involving this lift

4 chiefly British : an empty house or building that is occupied by squatters

5 slang : diddly-squat

Other Words from squat Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about squat

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Examples of squat in a Sentence

Verb He squatted behind the bush to avoid being seen. A family has been squatting in that house for months. Noun He didn't do squat all day. She lives in a squat.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb The best way to do this is to squat down and step your right foot a little more forward than your left. — Stephanie Mansour, NBC News, "The best resistance bands of 2021 — and a 30-day workout plan to put them to work," 1 Feb. 2019 For $20 a month, users have been able to swing at incoming objects with VR bats, and squat to avoid others, at varying levels of tempo and difficulty. — Jason Lipshutz, Billboard, "How VR Fitness Apps Like Supernatural Could Change The Music Industry," 12 Mar. 2021 The rear suspension, with its gargantuan leaf packs, barely seemed to squat, let alone bottom out. — Ezra Dyer, Car and Driver, "Do You Really Need A Heavy-Duty Truck?," 6 Mar. 2021 Regularly $129, the Sunny Health and Fitness squat assist row-n-ride trainer is on sale at QVC for just $89.77. — Nicole Briese, USA TODAY, "This upright squat-and-row machine has more than 19,000 reviews—and it's only $90," 4 Mar. 2021 Regularly $129, the Sunny Health and Fitness squat assist row-n-ride trainer is up for grabs today for just $94.34. — Nicole Briese, USA TODAY, "This upright squat and rowing machine has more than 13,000 reviews—and it's less than $100," 31 Dec. 2020 Keep your feet shoulder width apart and squat until your knees are at 90-degree angles. — Jen Murphy, WSJ, "The Workout Olympic Skiers Use to Prepare for the Slopes," 19 Dec. 2020 Dickerson can bench over 440 pounds and squat more than 700 pounds, according to Eberle. — Mike Rodak | Mrodak@al.com, al, "The stories behind the grit, smarts Landon Dickerson brings to Alabama," 17 Dec. 2020 Women facing homelessness were forced to move in with relatives or squat in doorways. — Caroline Fraser, The New York Review of Books, "No Haven," 6 Oct. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective Four-way stretch allows for total flexibility and comfort while traveling, working out, relaxing, or running errands, while squat-proof thickness gives you the freedom to bend and move about. — Zarah Kavarana, Travel + Leisure, "Amazon Shoppers Say These $30 Joggers ‘Have the Exact Same Feel and Wear’ as a Lululemon Favorite," 5 Mar. 2021 Aneudy Gutierrez, a squat man in a tired blue hoodie, and an older man who introduced himself as Drew Chimmy—both veterans of New York City Department of Finance vehicle auctions—stood drinking deli coffee and offering advice. — Adam Iscoe, The New Yorker, "Looking for Gold at a Department of Finance Vehicle Auction," 18 Jan. 2021 Make the most of staying on your feet all day with some light exercise: Stretch, jog in place, work on your squat form, tap dance. — Leanza Abucayan, CNN, "How to cure your boredom while waiting in line for the Covid-19 vaccine," 27 Mar. 2021 There are 10 of them, mostly squat tumblers with a colored band at the bottom rendered almost invisible from years of dishwasher cleaning. — Washington Post, "Mementos from around the world remind this writer of what he loves most about travel: Food.," 26 Mar. 2021 During testing last week, Jones recorded a 4.47 seconds in the 40-yard dash, a 4.21 shuttle, 35-inch vertical along with a 405-pound squat and 255-pound power clean. — Richard Davenport, Arkansas Online, "Wolverine LB Braden Jones opens eyes on field, in testing," 25 Mar. 2021 Ella Emhoff, the step-daughter to Vice President Kamala Harris, was also called out for her squat and pose mirror-less selfies. — Sarah Midkiff, refinery29.com, "Turns Out, Influencer Mirror Selfies Are All A Lie," 17 Mar. 2021 Like the skater run, the squat kick brings glute strengthening into your cardio routine. — Stephanie Mansour, CNN, "How to change up your workout with easy dance cardio moves," 12 Mar. 2021 Its squat brick façade and small white steeple are meant to evoke Independence Hall. — Dan Kaufman, The New Yorker, "Will Trump’s Broken Promises to Working-Class Voters Cost Him the Election?," 31 Oct. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun If Brooks Koepka looks a little awkward trying to read putts on Augusta National’s slippery greens, with his right leg locked to the side or extended behind him as opposed to a traditional squat, cut him a break. — Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Masters notes: Brooks Koepka hobbles around Augusta after knee surgery," 8 Apr. 2021 This variation of a squat will work ankle strength and mobility. — Jen Murphy, WSJ, "A Workout That Zeroes In on Foot and Ankle Strength," 6 Mar. 2021 Living in a dirty squat in what seems a particularly tubercular part of town, the principal quartet of teenage London slumdwellers are eager to avoid the workhouse, pay their extortionist landlord her rent, and feed themselves with some regularity. — John Anderson, WSJ, "‘The Irregulars’ Review: Sherlock’s Supernatural Scoundrels," 25 Mar. 2021 Langdon’s record lifts include a 370-pound deadlift, a 204-pound bench press, and a 413-pound squat. — Jeremy Beaman, Washington Examiner, "'You just have to put your mind to it': 78-year-old Michigan woman has 19 powerlifting world records," 13 Mar. 2021 Michael Rogers, a professor in human performance studies at Wichita State University in Wichita, Kan., says the squat, crunch, lunge and bridge are all great body-weight exercises to incorporate into a home routine, but form is crucial. — Jen Murphy, WSJ, "Proper Form and Other Workout Advice for The Wall Street Journal Fitness Challenge," 27 Feb. 2021 Correct it: If your knees buckle inward, place a mini band around the thighs and practice the squat while pushing outward against the band. — Mallory Creveling, Health.com, "These 8 Exercises Will Work Your Whole Body—and Here’s How to Do Them Right," 18 Feb. 2021 For example, coaches can analyze the time and speed of the eccentric contraction — the downward motion — as one is sitting down into a barbell squat. — Jeff Fedotin, Forbes, "Pro And College Teams Use New Workout Device That Enables ‘Smart’ Weight Racks," 1 Mar. 2021 Passing through the squat archway into what feels like the main event is liberating, with even the architecture in on the effect. — Murray Whyte, BostonGlobe.com, "At Peabody Essex, a reset on South Asian art," 14 Jan. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'squat.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.