crouching

verb

present participle of crouch
as in huddling
to lie low with the limbs close to the body the cat crouched in the bushes, waiting for the right moment to pounce on the chipmunk

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 crouching Muchová went up 3-1 early with a crouching forehand volley that just plopped inside the court, prompting applause from Gauff and a disbelieving shake of the head from Muchová. — Ava Wallace, New York Times, 9 July 2026 Bystander video captured the sound of at least seven shots and showed people crouching and running for cover. — Michael R. Sisak, Fortune, 15 June 2026 Bystander video captured the sound of at least seven shots and showed people crouching and running for cover. — Michael R. Sisak, Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2026 What’s the big deal with tying laces, unless bending or crouching is a big inconvenience? — Elaina Verhoff, Travel + Leisure, 13 June 2026 Slide on a pair dedicated for cleaning, spritz some wood-safe cleaner on baseboards, then use your socked foot to wipe them down without crouching. — Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 13 June 2026 Seconds later, the same officer — now with his gun holstered — is captured on the camera crouching and clutching his left shoulder in pain. — Corky Siemaszko, NBC news, 11 June 2026 Spielberg was seen crouching next to a car kitted out as a Kansas City Police Department car. — Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 9 June 2026 Social media video showed dozens of terrified elementary schoolchildren crouching down outdoors as the ground beneath them swayed violently in the province of Davao Occidental. — Kathleen Magramo, CNN Money, 8 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crouching
  1. huddling
  2. hunching
  3. squatting
Verb
  • Before games, May said that Michigan’s coaching staff developed a habit of huddling up and reminding themselves to be confident because Johnson was on their team.
    — Christian Clark, New York Times, 2 July 2026
  • Teams from the two companies have been huddling for months to plan for the melding of the two operations as soon as Paramount receives all of its regulatory approvals.
    — Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026
Definition of huddling
Verb
  • Mari-Carmen Sanchez-Morris, a former nurse and women’s health and fitness coach, told Patient that hunching is the biggest pitfall.
    — Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 1 July 2026
  • That’s because these are the muscles that most commonly become tight and painful with poor posture, creating a vicious cycle of even more slouching and hunching.
    — Danielle Zickl, Health, 15 June 2026
Definition of hunching
Verb
  • Experts warn some squatting incidents can involve more than simply occupying a vacant home.
    — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 13 July 2026
  • Across eight episodes, the roles and community of women, people of color and even those disabled by the war are explored within storylines about class politics, frontier corruption and land squatting on the Osage Reserve.
    — Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 10 July 2026
Definition of squatting

Browse Nearby Words

crouches
crouching
crow
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Cite this Entry

“Crouching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crouching. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on crouching

Nglish: Translation of crouching for Spanish Speakers

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