cowing

verb

present participle of cow
as in intimidating
to make timid or fearful by or as if by threats a sharp glare cowed the child into being quiet

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 cowing What’s more, the blast would perhaps be visible on Earth, boosting morale at home and cowing our enemies abroad. — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 17 Sep. 2026 Instead of cowing Iran, the Israeli strike escalated the war. — Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cowing
  1. intimidating
  2. bullying
  3. scaring
Verb
  • Dating back to the Ming Dynasty, the Chinese used the term paper tiger to describe someone who appears powerful and intimidating but ultimately poses little threat.
    — Antonio Ferme, Variety, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Regan has been accused of threatening and intimidating women who worked for the union’s parent organization, and of physically assaulting one, according to reporting by The Times.
    — Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of intimidating
Verb
  • Grande had been the subject of a wave of speculation, concern and bullying regarding her physical appearance following images of the actress-singer going viral in late July.
    — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2026
  • But Gresko, who alleges that some of her older children had also experienced bullying at the school, says the school never contacted her.
    — Brian Brant, PEOPLE, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of bullying
Verb
  • Although the pace of home sales have remained largely unchanged this year compared to last year, according to NAR data through August, there are some signs that higher mortgage rates have started scaring off some buyers.
    — Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2026
  • For their final lesson, a volunteer — who isn't Woodside or Priest — traps the raccoons in cages, scaring them enough to encourage them to avoid traps and humans.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of scaring

Browse Nearby Words

cowhiding
cowing
cowinner
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Cite this Entry

“Cowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cowing. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

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