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Recent Examples of cowering
Selome Hailu, Variety, 1 June 2026
The Wolves will retreat to their corner, bandage some wounds and aim to actually come out swinging Friday after cowering in the corner for the bulk of Game 2.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 7 May 2026
Appraisal will rely on the extent of your Radiohead fandom and your identification with creature-characters, often crying or cowering with their head in their hands, who are unremittingly sad and ashamed and embarrassed by the barbarism of simple existence.
—Andy Battaglia, ARTnews.com, 7 May 2026
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
Verb
With several strippers, patrons and employees cowering in fear, the two men talk.
—Selome Hailu, Variety, 1 June 2026
The Wolves will retreat to their corner, bandage some wounds and aim to actually come out swinging Friday after cowering in the corner for the bulk of Game 2.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 7 May 2026
Appraisal will rely on the extent of your Radiohead fandom and your identification with creature-characters, often crying or cowering with their head in their hands, who are unremittingly sad and ashamed and embarrassed by the barbarism of simple existence.
—Andy Battaglia, ARTnews.com, 7 May 2026
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
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
-
More comics journalism from Life Kit Still cringing about that awkward moment?—
Andee Tagle,
NPR,
25 May 2026
-
Try and get through this one without cringing.—
Austin Perry OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
16 May 2026
Adjective
-
Participants will gain skills to develop mutual trust, respect, and mindfulness between Dominant and submissive.—
Rachel del Guidice,
FOXNews.com,
9 May 2026
-
The original plot centered on the arrival of a submissive, quiet mail-order bride and her father from China, who sneaked into the country to marry a nightclub owner who had no idea that his mother had brought the girl over for him.—
Marla Jo Fisher,
Daily News,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
Knorr and other team officials were in the room, but Stammen helped lead it without flinching.—
Dennis Lin,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2026
-
The Alpha Wave acquisition suggests the Gulf’s biggest dealmakers aren’t flinching at opportunities in the US or being slowed by the war in Iran.—
Kelsey Warner,
semafor.com,
10 Mar. 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,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Trump is the most corrupt and scandal-plagued president since Nixon; indeed, his fiascoes eclipse Nixon’s, but many of them remain mostly or somewhat hidden, thanks in part to a much more acquiescent Republican Congress than the one Nixon had.—
David A. Graham,
The Atlantic,
8 Apr. 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 many ADA-compliant spaces, including the public entrance, guest rooms (options include a king room with a balcony, two queens, two kings with a balcony, an ocean view king with balcony, and a studio suite), registration desk, and concierge desk.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
That inspection, and later ones, uncovered numerous non-compliant or improperly labeled marijuana, kratom and mushroom product, according to the DLCP order.—
Logan Smith,
CBS News,
31 May 2026
Adjective
-
Liz Alvarado skillfully broadens this figure from a resigned, knowing older woman committed to marrying for security, to believably revealing dormant feelings within her that tamped down her first-and-only true enamorado Diego.—
Christopher Smith,
Oc Register,
12 May 2026
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Cowering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cowering. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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