as in intimidating
to make timid or fearful by or as if by threats
a sharp glare cowed the child into being quiet
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Recent Examples of cowing
Instead of cowing Iran, the Israeli strike escalated the war.
—
Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2026
Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cowing
Verb
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While some online say their attire looks intimidating, people who have worked with them personally say otherwise.—
Carmela Karcher,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
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Manufacturers typically design steering wheel locks to look intimidating to thieves.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Online platforms are generally not legally responsible for the content that their users post; Meta, for example, would not be liable for bullying comments or imagery for self-harm posted onto Facebook.—
Kaitlyn Tiffany,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
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Lendeborg had a highlight-reel dunk by bullying his way through two defenders and finishing his transition drive with a dunk to put Michigan up 66-57.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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And with it almost out in the world, that’s scaring him a little bit.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Apr. 2026
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During the first phase, last spring, before DHS got the infusion of new money, Noem led a shock-and-awe campaign aimed mostly at scaring people into leaving.—
Nick Miroff,
The Atlantic,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cowing. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
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