cow

Synonym Chooser

How is the word cow different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of cow are browbeat, bulldoze, bully, and intimidate. While all these words mean "to frighten into submission," cow implies reduction to a state where the spirit is broken or all courage is lost.

not at all cowed by the odds against making it in show business

When is it sensible to use browbeat instead of cow?

The words browbeat and cow can be used in similar contexts, but browbeat implies a cowing through arrogant, scornful, or contemptuous treatment.

browbeat the witness into a contradiction

In what contexts can bulldoze take the place of cow?

While in some cases nearly identical to cow, bulldoze implies an intimidating or an overcoming of resistance usually by urgings, demands, or threats.

bulldozed the city council into approving the plan

Where would bully be a reasonable alternative to cow?

Although the words bully and cow have much in common, bully implies intimidation through threats, insults, or aggressive behavior.

bullied into giving up their lunch money

When can intimidate be used instead of cow?

While the synonyms intimidate and cow are close in meaning, intimidate implies inducing fear or a sense of inferiority into another.

intimidated by so many other bright freshmen

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 cow In each of these instances, Trump wants power and the majority Republicans in Congress have been too cowed to resist him. New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 12 Aug. 2025 Schools and universities are being threatened and cowed into submission. For The Carroll County Times, Baltimore Sun, 26 July 2025 Fortunately, professional historians have not been cowed like many university leaders, law firms and others who have shamefully capitulated to Trump’s assault on free speech and intellectual integrity. John Lawrence, Twin Cities, 18 July 2025 The party has also advantaged itself by taking authoritarian measures—cowing media outlets, harassing opponents, and exercising ever greater sway over India’s Election Commission. Hartosh Singh Bal, Foreign Affairs, 30 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for cow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cow
Verb
  • Assaults by the Pagan’s Motorcycle Club are often committed in order to protect and expand territory, intimidate rivals, conceal members from law enforcement and advance extracurricular criminal projects, according to the 2024 indictment.
    Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Meanwhile, the President can use the National Guard to intimidate blue-state citizens, and no one can stop him; a mogul can shield billions in income from tax; and voters can find their districts redrawn overnight.
    Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The first touchdown of the year was bullied into the end zone by Williams, who wouldn’t be done in this game.
    Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Owen's best friend, Khloe Wilson, was suspected of sending the messages early in the investigation due to past tensions with Lauryn and bullying accusations.
    Allison DeGrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Judy Hernandez’ husband Raul, a co-founder of the community group the Resurrection Project, dismissed those plans as a political stunt geared to create fear and frighten Spanish-speaking people.
    Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Many of us are conditioned to think that our ultimate goal in life is to be with someone, so much so, that the mere thought of being alone frightens us.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Yet, at the same time, automation scares people.
    Arthur Azizov, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Parents, scared by the specter of brain damage, are reluctant to let their kids play tackle football.
    Seth Wickersham, The Atlantic, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Poor people know the intimate, badgering pangs of hunger, but in Ireland, the memory of the 1845-1848 Famine—the Great Hunger, when one million died from starvation and disease, and another million emigrated—still aches.
    Philip Metres August 27, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2025
  • Trump has been badgering Powell and other Fed officials to cut rates for months, but Powell has said the independent agency isn’t influenced by politics and will do what’s best for the economy.
    Paul Davidson, USA Today, 23 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Then the Buckel brothers arrived, intent on doing the same, and Smith was startled.
    Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Another Epstein accuser looked up, startled, to see where the deafening sound was coming from.
    Josh Meyer, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Cow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cow. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

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