cowed 1 of 2

cowed

2 of 2

verb

past tense of cow

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 cowed
Verb
Having already weathered so many attacks aimed at diminishing its power, the remaining Iranian leadership, which learned to tolerate hardship in the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s, is unlikely to be cowed by further aggression. James F. Jeffrey, Foreign Affairs, 3 Sep. 2026 Jordan, who escapes relatively unscathed, is at once cowed and traumatized yet committed to vengeance. Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026 What stood out was his confidence; Bouaddi was never cowed up against the experienced pairing of Bruno Guimaraes and Casemiro. Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 22 July 2026 Refusing to be cowed, Sartre responded to Aron with his own book on Marx, the nine-hundred-page Critique of Dialectical Reason, in 1960. Literary Hub, 21 July 2026 England looked cowed and browbeaten by the second half of the semifinal, which allowed Lionel Messi to do what only Lionel Messi can do. Ben Church, CNN Money, 16 July 2026 Instead, several of Kendall’s key allies are cowed by Logan’s intimidating presence — even Roman buckles under the pressure — and the media titan declares victory. Ew Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 25 June 2026 Producers have been cowed internally after the show has been undermined by a media company that has consistently refused to stand up for it in public. Brian Steinberg, Variety, 9 June 2026 Still, the stereotype of the Spirit customer was not of a traveller cowed by a need to be thrifty. Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 9 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cowed
Adjective
  • The biggest hurdle, though, is simply believing the Elle Woods who learns to prove her doubters wrong at 16 would be so intimidated when faced with doing it again at 22.
    Ben Travers, IndieWire, 29 June 2026
  • In traditional settings, people often feel rushed, intimidated, and unseen.
    Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 May 2026
Verb
  • The Fire turned up the pressure defensively in the paint and consistently bullied the Dream out of it.
    Micahya Costen, AJC.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • View this post on Instagram Priscilla Villanueva said her son, Dakota Cabrera, has been bullied for wearing his hair in a braid, but seeing Pete do the same gives him hope.
    Marissa Armas, CBS News, 24 Aug. 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
  • The rising cost of health care has frightened many people, including those with health insurance.
    Cara Kelly, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The aggressive approach deeply disrupted and frightened the participants.
    Kimmie Gordon, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • All of us artists could stand to be more like Mark, willing to speak out for oppressed people everywhere, even when powerful people try to bully us into silence.
    Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Ella is a young woman cursed to obey all instructions whose quest for self-determination also turns her into an advocate for the kingdom’s oppressed elves and ogres.
    Chris Bellamy, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • If the fluids were removed without replacement, the immense geological weight of the overlying earth would cause the salt domes to collapse inward like a crushed shield.
    Siddharth Misra, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The other roughly 95% is a crushed powder that is called tailings.
    Erin Hassanzadeh, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • In the end, a downtrodden Sporting side came close to picking up an upset win but settled for a 1-1 draw.
    PJ Green, Kansas City Star, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Just as iconic is the song’s inclusion in the classic 2003 comedy Old School, starring Will Ferrell, Luke Wilson, and Vince Vaughn as three downtrodden thirtysomethings who start their own fraternity.
    Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 9 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Cowed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cowed. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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