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
Even My Dying Bride, Warning’s closest spiritual antecedent, have always couched their little-r romantic songs in a lot of big-R Romanticism—the blood, the wine, the roses, and other such gothic Byronisms.
—
Brad Sanders, Pitchfork, 17 Jan. 2026
Still, some constitutional violations can also be couched as civil wrongdoings under the FTCA.
—Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 17 Jan. 2026
Their statements are simply a summary of the law, although couched with political speech.
—Michael Szalma, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2026
To be clear, revenue share contracts are couched as an intellectual property transaction with the school buying a license to use the athlete’s NIL.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 8 Jan. 2026
Sometimes the case for war’s inevitability is couched in expressions of rue and reluctance.
—Elizabeth D. Samet, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2025
Usually, the question was couched in politeness, but my students (bless them) had not yet learned to be subtle.
—Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2025
Particularly dangerous is that some of this language has been couched in religious terms, which turns political conflicts into identity ones that are far more difficult to resolve.
—Darren Kew, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Oct. 2025
With the most recent idea of a humanitarian corridor couched in the language of protecting Syrian minorities, Israel could be seeking a wider area under more explicit control.
—Mireille Rebeiz, The Conversation, 9 Oct. 2025
Brad Sanders, Pitchfork, 17 Jan. 2026
Still, some constitutional violations can also be couched as civil wrongdoings under the FTCA.
—Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 17 Jan. 2026
Their statements are simply a summary of the law, although couched with political speech.
—Michael Szalma, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2026
To be clear, revenue share contracts are couched as an intellectual property transaction with the school buying a license to use the athlete’s NIL.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 8 Jan. 2026
Sometimes the case for war’s inevitability is couched in expressions of rue and reluctance.
—Elizabeth D. Samet, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2025
Usually, the question was couched in politeness, but my students (bless them) had not yet learned to be subtle.
—Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2025
Particularly dangerous is that some of this language has been couched in religious terms, which turns political conflicts into identity ones that are far more difficult to resolve.
—Darren Kew, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Oct. 2025
With the most recent idea of a humanitarian corridor couched in the language of protecting Syrian minorities, Israel could be seeking a wider area under more explicit control.
—Mireille Rebeiz, The Conversation, 9 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for couched
Verb
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The White House has expressed openness to a compromise with the Democrats, who are holding up a government funding bill over the shooting.—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Jan. 2026
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Several others in the organization have expressed their interest in Rodgers playing quarterback in 2026.—
Mike DeFabo,
New York Times,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Dan crouched beside her, not wanting to say any‑ thing, covering his eye with his hand.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Jan. 2026
-
As the lead guide crouched down, an elephant walked around a bend in the river, maybe 30 metres ahead of us.—
Holden Frith,
TheWeek,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Kirby said United made about $500 million at the airport in 2025, and would have made $600 million without American’s O’Hare buildup.—
Ted Reed,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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Investigators said that Johnson was believed to be living at the encampment when he was killed.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Europe’s leaders huddled Thursday to recalibrate the future of their relationship with the US after a week of diplomatic tumult.—
J.D. Capelouto,
semafor.com,
22 Jan. 2026
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Nearby, people huddled around a car handing out groceries.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Explain the mechanism that Washington used to compel quarterback Demond Williams to return because the consequences were too onerous to ignore, like LSU losing out on $4 million in NIL for 2026 or however it’s phrased.—
Jon Wilner,
Mercury News,
9 Jan. 2026
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This suggests that the models’ internal beliefs are skewed based on how questions are phrased, or by their topics.—
Chara Podimata,
Time,
21 Nov. 2025
Verb
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These should not be concerns articulated in a world-class scientific institution.—
Sylvia Chou,
STAT,
10 Jan. 2026
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Madonna, Stefano Gabbana, and Domenico Dolce have lived a 40-year-long love story that’s articulated itself on runways and continent-hopping tours.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The medical provider has not stated how many services have had to be rescheduled thus far.—
Paul Sisson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
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Federal officials initially stated that Pretti was armed and resisted agents, while local accounts indicate Pretti was disarmed before he was fatally shot.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The first claim drew a swift, if carefully worded, denial from the school, followed months later by Hudson’s threat of litigation, which has yet to materialize.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
17 Dec. 2025
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The 2010 exemption specifically targeted Jackson County and was worded to apply only to charter counties with populations between 600,000 and 700,000 people, a population level Jackson County has now surpassed.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Couched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/couched. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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