cowered

Definition of cowerednext
past tense of cower
as in cringed
to draw back or crouch down in fearful submission the abused dog always cowered in the presence of its master

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 cowered Anyone living in one of the dozens of surrounding villages, such as Nazareth, who was not rounded up must have cowered in fear behind closed doors or hidden in the various underground cisterns and hewn chambers beneath the ancient houses and courtyards of the Jewish villages. Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2025 In one incident, a predator, confirmed by a state biologist to have been a wolf, attacked an elk on the front steps of a home in Sierra County as the college-age son of the owner cowered inside, alone and afraid amid the growls and thumps that were shaking the front door. Sacbee.com, 18 Sep. 2025 But we’re not so easily cowered. The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cowered
Verb
  • Host Jimmy Fallon visibly cringed in response.
    Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Jan. 2026
  • You get cringed out when things are earnest or something, but then the music is a way to channel it.
    Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 25 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • His comment shouldn’t be interpreted as a postgame shot at an overwhelmed Red Raiders offense and, everything considered, his vaunted defense’s performance hardly resembled a unit that flinched at the challenges.
    Shawn McFarland, Dallas Morning News, 1 Jan. 2026
  • That said, the Pioneers haven’t flinched this season without him.
    Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 29 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Cowered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cowered. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.

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