couching

verb

present participle of couch
1
as in saying
to convey in appropriate or telling terms I'm trying to couch this delicately: I don't think we should date anymore

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in crouching
to lie low with the limbs close to the body I couched behind the partition so as to avoid an awkward situation with my ex

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of couching The honey does an admirable job of couching the rum’s heavy funk. — Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 6 June 2026 True crime, as a genre, rationalizes its exploitations—people’s tragedies and traumas, recast for popular consumption—by couching the sensationalism in considerations of justice. — Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 9 Mar. 2026 Writers of autofiction have been accused of trying to preëmpt criticism by couching their work in self-awareness. — Literary Hub, 17 Dec. 2025 After about half an hour of couching his fears in technical language and cautious caveats, the OpenAI CEO finally did. — Preston Fore, Fortune, 11 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for couching
  1. saying
  2. crouching
  3. expressing
  4. huddling
  5. articulating
  6. stating
  7. putting
Verb
  • Carmella is also still mad at Vicki for saying that Danny is raising her kids, and Heather is angry after learning that Vicki called her fake in Palm Springs.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
  • In 2013 the agency issued a rule saying the exclusion should apply only when an orphan drug is actually used for the rare condition it was designated for.
    — John Mildenberger, STAT, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of saying
Verb
  • The small red-chalk study shows a child crouching on the ground, according to The Guardian, which first reported the discovery.
    — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 29 Sep. 2026
  • The notorious crouching sniffer known throughout Glendale and Burbank is arrested again.
    — Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of crouching
Verb
  • The 31-year-old took to X to share the news with her legion of Hotties, expressing her gratitude and excitement for the opportunity.
    — Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 29 Sep. 2026
  • This season is very much about expressing your personal style and wearing things in different ways.
    — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of expressing
Verb
  • Saturday brought periods of rain, smaller crowds and people huddling beneath umbrellas while performers and vendors pushed ahead.
    — J.M. Banks, Kansas City Star, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Lisa Keller, a history professor at the State University of New York College at Purchase, recalls huddling with other historians, debating what would come next.
    — Hannah Natanson, Washington Post, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of huddling
Verb
  • Ballard said in articulating an initial defense for keeping the veteran wide receiver on the roster heading into the team's regular-season opener against the Baltimore Ravens.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • In contrast, charismatic signaling typically involves articulating a vision that connects present circumstances with a desirable collective future.
    — Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of articulating
Verb
  • Sophie Cunningham has become a megastar by boldly stating that men have no business competing in women’s sports — all while shooting the lights out from beyond the 3-point arc.
    — Jon Root OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026
  • About a week later, on Thursday, the department received an email from campus leadership stating the previous correspondence was an error.
    — Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of stating
Verb
  • The dramatic lighting and wax museums are just spooky enough to summon the spirit of the witch trials without being off-putting for children.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Oct. 2026
  • But putting America on a presentation slide and actually establishing yourself in the US motorcycle market are two very different propositions.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of putting

Browse Nearby Words

couches
couching
couch potato
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Cite this Entry

“Couching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/couching. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

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