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
  • That contradicts what many publishers have been saying, though most publishers are of course wary of sharing too many proprietary numbers publicly.
    — Samuel Axon, ArsTechnica, 1 Aug. 2026
  • After county planning officials issued a report stating construction wouldn’t impact the environment, Fish and Game countered, saying the report wasn’t thorough, and a qualified biologist will have to survey the site.
    — Bay City News, Mercury News, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of saying
Verb
  • There was only one other person in sight, crouching at the water’s edge, a few hundred yards upstream—another mudlark.
    — Sam Knight, New Yorker, 17 July 2026
  • The dogs running underneath or a man crouching low could get through the oaks as easily as a bear.
    — Frank C. Hibben, Outdoor Life, 15 July 2026
Definition of crouching
Verb
  • Coursera founder Daphne Koller shared her early fascination with programming and mathematical models, expressing hope that AI can be deployed ethically to create a better, more egalitarian world.
    — John Werner, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
  • There was a diversity of perspectives at the table, with some expressing deep concern about AI while others saw it as a tool.
    — Diane Brady, Fortune, 29 July 2026
Definition of expressing
Verb
  • After celebrating, a video posted by BBC Sport showed the Belgian squad huddling together to bask in their victory, before breaking out into dance.
    — Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 20 July 2026
  • Before games, May said that Michigan’s coaching staff developed a habit of huddling up and reminding themselves to be confident because Johnson was on their team.
    — Christian Clark, New York Times, 2 July 2026
Definition of huddling
Verb
  • DeepSeek’s January 2025 announcement compelled many observers to acknowledge a trajectory that Beijing had been articulating through industrial policies, successive Five-Year Plans, and national technology strategies for more than a decade.
    — Dewardric L. McNeal, CNBC, 2 Aug. 2026
  • People who may have been exceptional within their roles and are confident in articulating their experiences within a verbal setting may often struggle to express this within the two pages of a resume.
    — Rachel Wells, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of articulating
Verb
  • During the earnings call, Musk neither confirmed nor denied the possibility, merely stating that business overlap between the two companies will continue to grow.
    — , CNBC, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Now, James is headed east, with the four-time MVP clearly stating on social media that his goal is winning a fifth championship.
    — Devon Henderson, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of stating
Verb
  • Amazon shares gained 4% and hit a new all-time high on Monday, putting its market cap over the $3 trillion threshold for the first time following a better-than-expected earnings report last week.
    — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 4 Aug. 2026
  • But goals like putting data centers in space would take multiple years, if not decades, to accomplish.
    — John Towfighi, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 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 5 Aug. 2026.

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