as in afraid
having or showing a shameful lack of courage
a cowardly bully who picks on the weak and defenseless vile charges that were made in a cowardly, unsigned letter
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in cravenly
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cowardly
Gretchen Carlson, Time, 25 July 2025
Instead of quietly moving along from a speech that was received quite well by its audience, NYU has taken the unprecedented (and cowardly) step of withholding the student's diploma altogether.
—David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 May 2025
Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2025
The cowardly capitulation of Paul Weiss and Skadden Arps are negative examples to be learned from.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 29 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cowardly
Adjective
For every cowardly troll who tried to bully us, there were dozens of friends, family, colleagues, and complete strangers who reached out to show their support and share their own experiences.
—Gretchen Carlson, Time, 25 July 2025
Instead of quietly moving along from a speech that was received quite well by its audience, NYU has taken the unprecedented (and cowardly) step of withholding the student's diploma altogether.
—David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 May 2025
Adverb
Those who resort to violence to undermine our state and nation must be held accountable, and our state leaders must reinforce through decisive action that these cowardly attacks will not be tolerated.
—Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2025
The cowardly capitulation of Paul Weiss and Skadden Arps are negative examples to be learned from.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 29 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cowardly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cowardly
Adjective
-
Make sure to water regularly, especially in warmer months, and don’t be afraid to switch out plants seasonally to keep your containers fresh.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
16 Aug. 2025
-
Don’t be afraid to give your rooms multiple purposes Take advantage of the various nooks and crannies in your home.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Texas Governor Greg Abbott is under severe pressure from President Donald Trump to restart one of the most craven and self-destructive practices of American politics in the 21st century: predatory gerrymandering.—
Matt Robison,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 July 2025
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Unlike the Founders who risked their lives, this bunch, with precious few exceptions, is too craven to risk even their jobs.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
3 July 2025
Adjective
-
When a United Airlines flight issued a mayday call shortly after departure, passengers onboard were doubtlessly scared.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
5 Aug. 2025
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Ball also claimed in the new interview that Anne, now 74, was not scared of him.—
Bailey Richards,
People.com,
2 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Rather than feigned civility or spineless compromise, a strong response to this prompt will show that a student has integrity and conviction, but is willing to grow and interrogate their ideas through engagement with others.—
Christopher Rim,
Forbes.com,
17 July 2025
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Today’s Republican Party is a bunch of weak, spineless cowards who cower in obedient terror at Trump’s feet.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
12 July 2025
Adjective
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Listen, by doing it this way, with a press release instead of a press conference, Rose looks both gutless and gutty at the same time.—
Mike Lupica,
New York Daily News,
6 June 2025
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Two baseballs flew down toward the San Diego Padres’ Jurickson Profar from the left-field corner stands, the gutless moves of two cowards.—
Bill Plaschke,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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But Wall Street doesn't seem as frightened of tariffs anymore.—
Yeo Boon Ping,
CNBC,
29 July 2025
-
As of Monday afternoon, Dickson still wasn’t sure whether someone punched through the window, or if her frightened dog, who heard numerous rounds of shots fired throughout the afternoon, tried to break free.—
Sofi Zeman
July 28,
Kansas City Star,
28 July 2025
Adjective
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Some also have lost lawyers, dismayed by the pusillanimous behavior of their leaders.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
28 May 2025
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The second believed the United States could attain comprehensive security through military-technological means and saw diplomacy as a quixotic or pusillanimous enterprise that dishonored and weakened the country.—
A. Wess Mitchell,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The bi-tone bezel, incidentally, is the key to keeping track of dastardly deeds in two different time zones simultaneously.—
Chris Haslam,
Wired News,
23 May 2025
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Naturally, this doesn't last long, and he gets called in to help nab the elusive arms dealer Owen Davian (Philip Seymour Hoffman) — the most dastardly villain he's faced yet.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
21 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cowardly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cowardly. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
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