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Recent Examples of cowering
Jay Peters, The Verge, 1 Mar. 2026
His crackdown has more than a few similarities with a military invasion of some cities, his roundups have left immigrant communities cowering and their neighbors defiant.
—Phil Elliott, Time, 17 Feb. 2026
The homeless man accused of raping a 14-year-old girl in a Manhattan apartment building was found cowering in a closet in upstate New York when cops zeroed in on his location, prosecutors said Thursday.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 5 Feb. 2026
In some sense, there’s a palpable disgust that this community has responded not by cowering, not by submitting, not by being grateful for this sort of armed invasion that is meant to stress everyone out, but by trying to foil it.
—Hanna Rosin, The Atlantic, 25 Jan. 2026
Goetz saw two female passengers on the ground, paralyzed and cowering in fear.
—Literary Hub, 21 Jan. 2026
Look to your right, where another patron, clad in the skin of a lion, will be cowering under his seat.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
The kids were heard cowering in fear.
—Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 22 Dec. 2025
The Spruce Pets explains that socially anxious dogs might display timid behaviour such as pulling away, cowering, trembling or looking confused when approached by unfamiliar dogs.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2025
Verb
The latest release, Resident Evil Requiem, tries to appeal to both sides by starring a new character, the cowering FBI agent Grace Ashcroft, and a series favorite, action hero Leon Kennedy.
—Jay Peters, The Verge, 1 Mar. 2026
His crackdown has more than a few similarities with a military invasion of some cities, his roundups have left immigrant communities cowering and their neighbors defiant.
—Phil Elliott, Time, 17 Feb. 2026
The homeless man accused of raping a 14-year-old girl in a Manhattan apartment building was found cowering in a closet in upstate New York when cops zeroed in on his location, prosecutors said Thursday.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 5 Feb. 2026
In some sense, there’s a palpable disgust that this community has responded not by cowering, not by submitting, not by being grateful for this sort of armed invasion that is meant to stress everyone out, but by trying to foil it.
—Hanna Rosin, The Atlantic, 25 Jan. 2026
Goetz saw two female passengers on the ground, paralyzed and cowering in fear.
—Literary Hub, 21 Jan. 2026
Look to your right, where another patron, clad in the skin of a lion, will be cowering under his seat.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
The kids were heard cowering in fear.
—Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 22 Dec. 2025
The Spruce Pets explains that socially anxious dogs might display timid behaviour such as pulling away, cowering, trembling or looking confused when approached by unfamiliar dogs.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cowering
Adjective
-
Re-wash and dry the garment, using these tips to avoid re-shrinking, to prevent a residue from the conditioner from setting.—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In it, her fellow students can be seen gasping, covering their faces and cringing.—
Catherine Santino,
PEOPLE,
30 Nov. 2025
-
Encouraged to see Jones sorta respond, Mackie kept babbling on and on and on about his dad, unaware that everyone else in the room was cringing.—
Lisa Gutierrez,
Kansas City Star,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The project, which premiered at Sundance in January, is a zany and absurd exploration of a dominant-submissive relationship.—
Juliana Ukiomogbe,
InStyle,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Iran wanted Iraq to remain weak and submissive, and in the meantime, corrupt Iranian officials could suck its resources, profit personally, and leave the country an impoverished mess.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Many critics are now calling out CBS for flinching rather than forcefully standing up to politically motivated intimidation.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
18 Feb. 2026
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And Bobby’s just not flinching.—
Alison Weinflash,
Rolling Stone,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
That amendment had been made a dead letter by Jim Crow state legislatures and an acquiescent Supreme Court.—
Robert D. Bland,
The Conversation,
3 Feb. 2026
-
As the right rises, Trump puts enemies on notice The Trump administration’s attack on Venezuela extends its broader crusade to assemble a column of allied — or at least acquiescent — governments in Latin America, sailing with the political winds blowing in much of the region.—
Megan Janetsky,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
This film, so seemingly unassertive, apparently rambling and plotless, has a devastating impact and aftershock.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Accommodating, which is unassertive and cooperative, prioritizes the needs and preferences of others over one’s own in order to maintain harmony.—
Ellen Choi,
Forbes,
10 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Accessibility The hotel has ADA-compliant rooms and elevators that service all guest floors.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 Mar. 2026
-
In 2024, that process affirmed that DPOB is responsibly governed, financially sound and compliant with all applicable requirements.—
Helen Amos,
Baltimore Sun,
1 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Neither is the machine that, partway through the play, noisily turns the stage into a great berg of foam, which slowly subsumes a resigned Kramer.—
Talya Zax,
The Atlantic,
21 Feb. 2026
-
The album’s 20 songs are the resigned and rueful sound of him making amends with his obscurity, and his larger place in the universe.—
Jayson Greene,
Pitchfork,
14 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cowering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cowering. Accessed 8 Mar. 2026.
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