1
as in coward
a person who shows a shameful lack of courage in the face of danger
denounced as curs those police officers who deserted their posts during the hurricane and its aftermath
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in bastard
a person whose behavior is offensive to others
only a cur would abandon friends in their time of need
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cur
That didn’t stop Annie, a mix of Staffordshire bull terrier, black mouth cur and Siberian husky, from sharing in the treats being handed out by Phoenix’s owner Maribel Gonzalez.
—
Gloria Casas, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026
Since switching to bears, Propst and Starks have accumulated a sound, reliable pack of bear dogs-redbones, Walkers, mountain curs and black-and-tans.
—John McCoy, Outdoor Life, 12 Nov. 2025
Overlooked time and again, the 7-year-old black mouth cur mix has finally been given a new lease on life thanks to Lakeshore PAWS, a nonprofit animal rescue based in Valparaiso, Indiana.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
His Orlok is more feral and red-blooded than previous iterations, appearing swathed in ursine furs and accompanied by mangy curs.
—Celia Mattison, Vulture, 27 Dec. 2024
His arch nemesis, Richard Nixon, had fled the White House like a diseased cur after the Watergate scandal and in his disappearance from the political scene, Thompson lost perhaps his greatest muse.
—Rory Feehan, SPIN, 9 Nov. 2023
On a blustery Saturday afternoon in April, 18 of 25 groups there had dogs off a leash, including this reporter with her black mouth cur mix, Archer.
—Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 4 Aug. 2023
In 1957, four mountain music players from Georgia, Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee discovered a shared love for the old mountain curs, and organized a breeding effort that saved the original mountain cur from extinction.
—Kyle Wintersteen, Field & Stream, 30 Jan. 2023
Behind the bar, the enormous portrait of the family’s late dog Rio — a black mouth cur for whom the restaurant is named — watches over the room.
—Sarah Blaskovich, Dallas News, 21 Dec. 2020
Gloria Casas, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026
Since switching to bears, Propst and Starks have accumulated a sound, reliable pack of bear dogs-redbones, Walkers, mountain curs and black-and-tans.
—John McCoy, Outdoor Life, 12 Nov. 2025
Overlooked time and again, the 7-year-old black mouth cur mix has finally been given a new lease on life thanks to Lakeshore PAWS, a nonprofit animal rescue based in Valparaiso, Indiana.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
His Orlok is more feral and red-blooded than previous iterations, appearing swathed in ursine furs and accompanied by mangy curs.
—Celia Mattison, Vulture, 27 Dec. 2024
His arch nemesis, Richard Nixon, had fled the White House like a diseased cur after the Watergate scandal and in his disappearance from the political scene, Thompson lost perhaps his greatest muse.
—Rory Feehan, SPIN, 9 Nov. 2023
On a blustery Saturday afternoon in April, 18 of 25 groups there had dogs off a leash, including this reporter with her black mouth cur mix, Archer.
—Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 4 Aug. 2023
In 1957, four mountain music players from Georgia, Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee discovered a shared love for the old mountain curs, and organized a breeding effort that saved the original mountain cur from extinction.
—Kyle Wintersteen, Field & Stream, 30 Jan. 2023
Behind the bar, the enormous portrait of the family’s late dog Rio — a black mouth cur for whom the restaurant is named — watches over the room.
—Sarah Blaskovich, Dallas News, 21 Dec. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cur
Noun
-
According to the referee report, Bright used a racial slur that is slang for punk or coward.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Time constraints once again strike here, but there’s also the fact that the movie drops the plot’s true twist — that Grace is a coward — only a few minutes before.—
Matthew Razak,
Space.com,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In recent years, Ed Sheeran slipped behind the counter, gamely slinging dogs and taking his fair share of abuse from the staff.—
Jimmy Jellinek,
SPIN,
27 Apr. 2026
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During the day, McKinley Park is filled with activity, from dog walkers and joggers to families enjoying the outdoors.—
Conor McGill,
CBS News,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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There’s an almost-friendship-ending rift over husbands (Brent Thiessen is Cee Cee’s, a cool-guy theater director; Ben Jacoby is Bertie’s, a rich jerk) that feels deeply dated and, in the context of the women’s tell-each-other-everything friendship, just plain weird.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The jerk chicken is rubbed in a sweet honey glaze.—
Jenn Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
There’s some Streisand, too, and a big dose of Andrea Martin, specifically Martin’s signature SCTV character Edith Prickley, that bawdy, gawdy ham with all the bravado of a Catskills clown.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
22 Apr. 2026
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Once completed, the $5 million acquisition will ensure the theater has a permanent home, a place where skateboarding clowns and leek-haired onions can continue to frolic and dance for decades to come.—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In the United States, dogs can get rabies if they are exposed to infected bats, raccoons, skunks and foxes.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Cicadas are a good food source for animals like birds, foxes, skunks and raccoons.—
Finch Walker,
USA Today,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
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According to San Diego County, snake sightings are up across the region due to warmer-than-usual weather in March.—
Ashley Mackin Solomon,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
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Unseen are the several private viewing rooms, offices, and work spaces that secretly snake through the guts.—
Nate Freeman,
Vanity Fair,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Ingesting rat poison could lead to bleeding gums and nosebleeds as well as bruising and blood in the stool.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 Apr. 2026
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The Idaho Legislature’s 2026 session ended without passing any rat control legislation, leaving Treasure Valley communities without a clear legal path to address the growing problem.—
Mark Dee,
Idaho Statesman,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cur.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cur. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
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