as in afraid
having or showing a shameful lack of courage
a craven refusal to deliver the unwelcome news personally
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in coward
a person who shows a shameful lack of courage in the face of danger
a craven who ran away and left everyone else behind to deal with the crisis
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of craven
Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2025
While health care and food assistance command the most attention, the craven assault on clean energy cannot be minimized.
—Chicago Tribune, 3 July 2025
Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for craven
Adjective
There are lots of good rebuttals to this craven move.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2025
While health care and food assistance command the most attention, the craven assault on clean energy cannot be minimized.
—Chicago Tribune, 3 July 2025
Noun
Missourians have the opportunity to put this craven power grab up for a vote.
—Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for craven
Recent Examples of Synonyms for craven
Adjective
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For its part, Beijing remained defiant, with the commerce ministry saying Sunday that China doesn’t want a tariff war but is also not afraid of one.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
13 Oct. 2025
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Those in the fanbase who wanted Lewis gone four weeks ago are now afraid to lose him.—
Kirk Kenney,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Just an utter coward folding to this embarrassing paper tiger administration.—
Megan Cartwright,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Oct. 2025
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We are told that politics is for cowards, literary analysis is for women, education is a system of liberal indoctrination, brave individuals must resist the herd.—
Robert Rubsam,
Vulture,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In practice, despite his rhetoric, Israel’s longest serving prime minister’s security policy was widely seen as cautious and relatively restrained, even derided as cowardly by political rivals, who also mocked his inability to make decisive moves.—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
29 Sep. 2025
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Violence in a place of worship is a cowardly and criminal act.—
Hollie Silverman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Some also have lost lawyers, dismayed by the pusillanimous behavior of their leaders.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
28 May 2025
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The second believed the United States could attain comprehensive security through military-technological means and saw diplomacy as a quixotic or pusillanimous enterprise that dishonored and weakened the country.—
A. Wess Mitchell,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The boy at the quotation board is running scared.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
13 Oct. 2025
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The best evidence that the Jets were scared to let Fields throw came before halftime, when New York went for it on fourth down on a fake punt, converted it, and then proceeded to run out the clock to head to the locker room.—
The Athletic NFL Staff,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Despite Lockjaw’s raid of their town, which reads as akin to an ICE campaign, Sensei isn’t frightened, confused, or shaken.—
Robert Daniels,
Time,
10 Oct. 2025
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The film revealed that when his pal John Belushi died of a drug overdose in 1982 at age 33, Candy was visibly shaken and frightened.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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In a year of gutless moves by major media companies, this may be the most gutless.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
17 Sep. 2025
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Listen, by doing it this way, with a press release instead of a press conference, Rose looks both gutless and gutty at the same time.—
Mike Lupica,
New York Daily News,
6 June 2025
Adjective
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Because Republicans in Congress are spineless.—
Callum Sutherland,
Time,
1 Oct. 2025
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Many Democrats, including progressives, said the move was spineless on Schumer’s part.—
Julia Manchester,
The Hill,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Craven.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/craven. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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