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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Recent Examples of crouching
Nearly two dozen gunshots later, Palmer and Jones were dead, while London survived by crouching down in the backseat.
—
Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 12 Feb. 2026
There, detectives observed the men walking into an open space, crouching in nearby bushes and then fleeing the area at a high rate of speed in a vehicle, police said.
—Sydney Barragan, Oc Register, 29 Jan. 2026
According to the outlet, a witness claimed a group of people saw the snow leopard crouching from a distance.
—Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 26 Jan. 2026
State wildlife officials on Thursday said a mountain lion cub with an injured paw that was captured after being spotted crouching in the middle of a Castaic roadway is on the mend.
—City News Service, Daily News, 22 Jan. 2026
My first glimpse of a gorilla was brief, a large male on the path ahead, crouching, his fists pressed into the soil.
—Holden Frith, TheWeek, 9 Jan. 2026
Longoria could also be seen ditching her pants in another look, crouching on the ground in a cheeky brown bodysuit with a mock neck design.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 29 Dec. 2025
Spielberg was seen crouching next to a car kitted out as a Kansas City Police Department car.
—Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 17 Dec. 2025
The video shows three people crouching behind a car as the sound of a gunshot and sirens are heard in the background.
—Omer Bekin, NBC news, 15 Dec. 2025
Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 12 Feb. 2026
There, detectives observed the men walking into an open space, crouching in nearby bushes and then fleeing the area at a high rate of speed in a vehicle, police said.
—Sydney Barragan, Oc Register, 29 Jan. 2026
According to the outlet, a witness claimed a group of people saw the snow leopard crouching from a distance.
—Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 26 Jan. 2026
State wildlife officials on Thursday said a mountain lion cub with an injured paw that was captured after being spotted crouching in the middle of a Castaic roadway is on the mend.
—City News Service, Daily News, 22 Jan. 2026
My first glimpse of a gorilla was brief, a large male on the path ahead, crouching, his fists pressed into the soil.
—Holden Frith, TheWeek, 9 Jan. 2026
Longoria could also be seen ditching her pants in another look, crouching on the ground in a cheeky brown bodysuit with a mock neck design.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 29 Dec. 2025
Spielberg was seen crouching next to a car kitted out as a Kansas City Police Department car.
—Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 17 Dec. 2025
The video shows three people crouching behind a car as the sound of a gunshot and sirens are heard in the background.
—Omer Bekin, NBC news, 15 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crouching
Verb
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The two are seen huddling under a tree in the rain, laughing companionably.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
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The cost of heating a home over winter is now more than some elderly couples’ pensions, Pekingnology reported, and villagers are huddling under blankets, or secretly burning firewood.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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And given its compact construction, only someone with a small build could navigate the passage by hunching over or shifting sideways, presenting an awkward picture.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Feb. 2026
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View gallery - 4 images Soldering frequently involves hunching in and squinting at the fiddly task at hand, or performing that task under an unmoving magnifying glass.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Vonn disclosed the injury a day after posting a video of herself squatting with a barbell in the gym.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
7 Feb. 2026
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The man filming later walks into the parking lot, where body after body has been laid out on the asphalt with family members either standing or squatting nearby.—
Marin Scott,
NBC news,
14 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crouching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crouching. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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