as in intimidated
Related Words
Relevance
as in bullied
to make timid or fearful by or as if by threats
a sharp glare cowed the child into being quiet
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cowed
Brian Kolp, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2026
No one was cowed by the threat.
—Katherine Packert Burke, Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026
School curriculums were sanitized; the press was cowed.
—Eve Fairbanks, The Dial, 27 Jan. 2026
Glaser herself appeared somewhat cowed by her own brazenness — which turned out to be the setup for another bit.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Jan. 2026
The senator and Navy veteran isn’t likely to be cowed by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s lawless attempt to silence him by seeking to demote him post-retirement.
—Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2026
Musk, who owns X, wants to promote the belief that the truth can be found on social media, and that the practitioners of real journalism are allegedly independent amateurs, such as Shirley, who can ask questions without being cowed by the woke agenda.
—Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2026
Early Saturday morning, Venezuela's Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello appeared flanked by police, saying the Venezuelan government will not be cowed.
—Carrie Kahn, NPR, 3 Jan. 2026
There is something so poignant about the scenes of Richard as a young boy in Whittier, cowed by his bitterly angry father and desperate to please his intensely religious mother, who is played with cold grace by Mary Steenburgen.
—Tim Greiving, HollywoodReporter, 20 Dec. 2025
Verb
We cannot be cowed into quiescence.
—Brian Kolp, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2026
No one was cowed by the threat.
—Katherine Packert Burke, Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026
School curriculums were sanitized; the press was cowed.
—Eve Fairbanks, The Dial, 27 Jan. 2026
Glaser herself appeared somewhat cowed by her own brazenness — which turned out to be the setup for another bit.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Jan. 2026
The senator and Navy veteran isn’t likely to be cowed by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s lawless attempt to silence him by seeking to demote him post-retirement.
—Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2026
Musk, who owns X, wants to promote the belief that the truth can be found on social media, and that the practitioners of real journalism are allegedly independent amateurs, such as Shirley, who can ask questions without being cowed by the woke agenda.
—Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2026
Early Saturday morning, Venezuela's Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello appeared flanked by police, saying the Venezuelan government will not be cowed.
—Carrie Kahn, NPR, 3 Jan. 2026
There is something so poignant about the scenes of Richard as a young boy in Whittier, cowed by his bitterly angry father and desperate to please his intensely religious mother, who is played with cold grace by Mary Steenburgen.
—Tim Greiving, HollywoodReporter, 20 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cowed
Adjective
-
The affidavit alleges the group entered the church in a coordinated manner, disrupted the service and intimidated parishioners, forcing it to be cut short.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
1 Feb. 2026
-
The presence of weapons can escalate confrontations, transform peaceful demonstrations into volatile situations and potentially chill the speech of others who feel intimidated.—
Bryan Adamson,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The young boy then has to navigate being 10 and being bullied, having crushes on girls, all while older siblings Yvette (Essence Atkins) and Marcus (Jason Weaver) cringe at the thought of him being at the same high school.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
PEOPLE,
4 Feb. 2026
-
One student recounted the story of a citizen who was bullied because of her ethnicity and later died by suicide.—
Jasmine Arenas,
CBS News,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Audiences who endured the Miramax era have been browbeaten to believe that the best picture Oscar should go to a period piece that chokes out a sob from audiences.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Not to the extent that the user is necessarily being browbeaten.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
This is no longer about ideology, this is about standing up for those who are being wrongly arrested, being unfairly harassed or being made to feel constantly frightened in their own homes.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Why was Caesar Augustus frightened of Ovid?—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The film is really about being Iranian, growing up in an oppressed religious context, and becoming full of rage and anger and hate and leaving your country for the hope of finding a better life.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Any oppressed people find outlets in humor.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
14 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Top with crushed peppermints, candy canes, star mints, sprinkles, or any other holiday garnish that suits your fancy.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
8 Feb. 2026
-
To appeal to the masses this one includes cheese dip and crushed croutons.—
Karla Walsh,
Better Homes & Gardens,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Wonder if there's a former Alabama defensive coach looking to be a coordinator for a downtrodden NFC East franchise.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Before diving into season 2, why not reacquaint yourself with The Pitt's heroic (and downtrodden) team?—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cowed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cowed. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.
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