as in intimidated
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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
Literary Hub, 20 May 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
The Kid Line of Marat Khusnutdinov, Fraser Minten and James Hagens drew raves from Sturm in the first two games up in Buffalo for its details and refusal to be cowed by the hostile environment in Buffalo.
—Stephen Conroy, Hartford Courant, 24 Apr. 2026
Bruce Springsteen was standing up to the president, while universities and law firms were being cudgeled and cowed.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 23 Mar. 2026
We cannot be cowed into quiescence.
—Brian Kolp, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 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
Verb
The first two signal the domestic draw that pulls her lover into her orbit, time and time again; the last, her unwillingness to be cowed when the powers that be come to threaten her—and her influence over the other characters, to resist the bootheel of the bully.
—Literary Hub, 20 May 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
The Kid Line of Marat Khusnutdinov, Fraser Minten and James Hagens drew raves from Sturm in the first two games up in Buffalo for its details and refusal to be cowed by the hostile environment in Buffalo.
—Stephen Conroy, Hartford Courant, 24 Apr. 2026
Bruce Springsteen was standing up to the president, while universities and law firms were being cudgeled and cowed.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 23 Mar. 2026
We cannot be cowed into quiescence.
—Brian Kolp, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cowed
Adjective
-
In traditional settings, people often feel rushed, intimidated, and unseen.—
Lisa Deaderick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 May 2026
-
You may be used to texting and Snapchat, and may feel intimidated to talk to clients one-on-one on a call.—
Heather Kelly,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
Pratt alleged that volunteers have been bullied, harassed, and have been trying to get Bass’s attention.—
Britta Miller,
The Washington Examiner,
30 May 2026
-
Because in the middle of all of this was a little girl who had been bullied by a group of men, and her mother wanted an apology.—
Lyz Lenz,
Rolling Stone,
28 May 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 Lord in your convent frightened me, Jesus with his bloody palms and gaping mouth, eyes rolled back in terror.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 May 2026
-
Lee Cronin was both flattered and frightened when Jason Blum suggested titling his The Mummy reimagining as Lee Cronin’s The Mummy.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The Irish were the original oppressed people from the English Empire, and the original colony.—
Dan Adler,
Vanity Fair,
15 May 2026
-
The body pointed to the fact that Iran’s Farabi cinema body, which oversees the country’s submission, was directly controlled by the hardline Islamic Republic regime government, which in turn has suppressed freedom of speech and brutally oppressed filmmakers across its 47 years in power.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
The car then fled the scene, where Katie was left beneath the crushed structure, per local station 10 News.—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
28 May 2026
-
Top with more crushed ice, and garnish with a mint sprig.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
23 May 2026
Adjective
-
Consumers from both countries grew fed up with their economies in 2022, and those sentiment reports have remained downtrodden.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
14 May 2026
-
And the dejected diehard of a downtrodden franchise isn’t truly stuck in a one-sided detrimental relationship.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
11 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cowed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cowed. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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