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
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
Dramatic footage of the confrontation, which has been viewed millions of times on social media, showed Ahmed crouching behind a car, then launching himself from the gunman who had just fired his weapon.
—Laura Sharman, CNN Money, 15 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
Sturridge crows and growls his lines, rolling his torso and crouching to crawl on his knuckles like a young silverback.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 14 Dec. 2025
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
Dramatic footage of the confrontation, which has been viewed millions of times on social media, showed Ahmed crouching behind a car, then launching himself from the gunman who had just fired his weapon.
—Laura Sharman, CNN Money, 15 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
Sturridge crows and growls his lines, rolling his torso and crouching to crawl on his knuckles like a young silverback.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 14 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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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
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Your back hurts from hunching over your laptop.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
19 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The measure also allows judges to issue summary judgments in clear squatting cases and tightens notice requirements, directing landlords to deliver eviction notices in ways likely to ensure occupants actually receive them, such as direct delivery or posting notices in visible places.—
Marley Malenfant,
Austin American Statesman,
30 Dec. 2025
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When the home’s white former tenants vacate, Jimmie moves out of his friend’s apartment in a low-income neighborhood that’s built on toxic waste and begins squatting.—
Taryn Finley,
Refinery29,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Crouching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crouching. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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