1
as in expressed
to convey in appropriate or telling terms
I'm trying to couch this delicately: I don't think we should date anymore
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Recent Examples of couched
Many couched their enthusiasm with caveats.
—
Alex Cuadros, ProPublica, 16 June 2026
Kocurek’s praise wasn’t couched, however.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 9 June 2026
It’s almost always couched in aspirational terms.
—Joshua Rivera, Vanity Fair, 8 June 2026
The initiative, whose other official name is the Nachhaltigkeitsinitiative (Sustainability Initiative), is couched in the language of environmentalism.
—Jessi Jezewska Stevens, New Yorker, 8 June 2026
This is another red flag that is often missed because the request is often couched in language around protection or trust.
—Joy Harden Bradford, AJC.com, 7 May 2026
For now, Anteotokounmpo, 31, remains coy, his words wrapped in riddles and his intentions couched in caveats, even as ESPN continues to report that a trade (somewhere) is viewed as inevitable and even as the two-time MVP insists that a trade is not his decision.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 20 Apr. 2026
This outlook is refreshing, even if it is ultimately couched in fantasy.
—Erin Qualey, Vulture, 15 Apr. 2026
One associate dean couched the misstep as a result of learning pains tied to the adoption of new technology.
—Emily Hodgson Anderson, The Conversation, 25 Mar. 2026
Alex Cuadros, ProPublica, 16 June 2026
Kocurek’s praise wasn’t couched, however.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 9 June 2026
It’s almost always couched in aspirational terms.
—Joshua Rivera, Vanity Fair, 8 June 2026
The initiative, whose other official name is the Nachhaltigkeitsinitiative (Sustainability Initiative), is couched in the language of environmentalism.
—Jessi Jezewska Stevens, New Yorker, 8 June 2026
This is another red flag that is often missed because the request is often couched in language around protection or trust.
—Joy Harden Bradford, AJC.com, 7 May 2026
For now, Anteotokounmpo, 31, remains coy, his words wrapped in riddles and his intentions couched in caveats, even as ESPN continues to report that a trade (somewhere) is viewed as inevitable and even as the two-time MVP insists that a trade is not his decision.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 20 Apr. 2026
This outlook is refreshing, even if it is ultimately couched in fantasy.
—Erin Qualey, Vulture, 15 Apr. 2026
One associate dean couched the misstep as a result of learning pains tied to the adoption of new technology.
—Emily Hodgson Anderson, The Conversation, 25 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for couched
Verb
-
Diedrich, operating partner and bartender at Pacific Cocktail Haven in San Francisco, expressed gratitude to a number of people while accepting the medallion for Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service during the ceremony, which was broadcast online.—
Kate Bradshaw,
Mercury News,
16 June 2026
-
Holland’s choice doesn’t come out of nowhere, as Cooper previously expressed interest in portraying the web-slinger.—
McKinley Franklin,
HollywoodReporter,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
The girl must have been crouched down and gotten the gun.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
12 June 2026
-
Brandon Wolf crouched in the corner of the nightclub bathroom for what felt like forever as gunshots rang out.—
Natalia Jaramillo,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
The report said witnesses claimed that the airplane lost some altitude before regaining it, then flew at treetop height and turned to the right before disappearing from their view.—
Ben Wheeler,
Kansas City Star,
16 June 2026
-
Williams said his clients reached out to district officials repeatedly, but Redlands Unified has not moved to address their concerns.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
Her entire family gathered in her mother’s home, huddled around the television, the 72-year-old Bronzeville resident said.—
Rebecca Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
19 June 2026
-
It is supposed to be a great beach party with a bonfire, but it gets rained out, and they are all huddled under an awning wearing too much body glitter and eating from a greige buffet.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
One onboarding step was phrased so oddly that two teams interpreted it in opposite ways.—
Michael Goshka,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
-
The use of first-person pronouns is dishonest, but there’s a much deeper issue that goes beyond how a statement is phrased.—
Ted Chiang,
The Atlantic,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
The idea, Nottapon says, emerged from a thought Jakkarin articulated during development – that a courtroom is less a place of discovery than a kind of theater, where each side stages its own version of reality for the judge.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
11 June 2026
-
Kim has also articulated his broader ambitions for North Korea's role in the new geopolitical environment.—
Jennifer Pak,
NPR,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
On the third day of hospitalization, the man became comatose and was intubated, the report stated.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
16 June 2026
-
While the team or Tortorella never actually stated it, the undertones from the day he was hired were that his stay wouldn’t be long.—
Jesse Granger,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
In announcing the potential out-of-state move, the NFL franchise carefully worded its language to allow for a different outcome.—
Robert McCoppin,
Chicago Tribune,
5 June 2026
-
Beijing’s statement after the meeting with the Iranian Foreign Ministry was carefully worded to not blame Iran for the crisis while also calling for greater efforts to open the Strait of Hormuz.—
Selina Wang,
ABC News,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Couched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/couched. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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