Thesaurus results for GROVEL

grovel

verb

ˈgrä-vᵊl

Definition of grovel

as in to cringe

to draw back or crouch down in fearful submission the way in which the abused dog would grovel whenever its owner came near

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in to crawl

to move slowly with the body close to the ground because of their anatomy, bats can only grovel while moving along the ground

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 grovel Here the adult narrator creates an atmosphere closer to Schulz’s erotic drawings, obsessively filled with images of the artist himself groveling at the feet of lithe young women. — Diana Arterian, Literary Hub, 12 Feb. 2026 Political courage is needed, especially from the cowardly, groveling Congress. — Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 18 Jan. 2026 That’s the saddest cash-grab gimmick ever, groveling for Dubai dollars. — Sports Columnist, San Francisco Chronicle, 11 Jan. 2026 The stringent businessman makes Marty suffer and grovel for his money, at one point exerting his power by spanking the young man’s bare bottom with a wooden ping-pong paddle. — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 31 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for grovel

Recent Examples of Synonyms for grovel

Verb

Anyone who has scoured the internet for their next best audio upgrade has encountered Bose speakers, headphones, or soundbars…and likely cringed at their price tags.

— Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 6 Nov. 2026
But our response to the unpleasant experience of cringing encourages us to close off those possibilities and to distance ourselves from the object of our cringe.

— Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of cringe

Verb

The Spurs jumped on Buzelis from the first pass of the second half, crawling up into his space and launching quick doubles that left the wing reeling for the remainder of the game.

— Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 12 Nov. 2026
Seeing people scratching and crawling to win life-changing money.

— Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 12 Nov. 2026

Definition of crawl

Verb

When Lee mentions Nathan Spence was meant to attend the program, Jed barely flinches, expressing sympathy for the boy’s confused and grieving mother.

— Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2026
Yet Rafael, willing and even eager to die for his antifascist principles, returns Sebastián’s gaze without flinching, and with a sense of rebuke that is complicated by unspoken yet unmistakable flickers of desire.

— Justin Chang, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of flinch

Verb

Then, for about half a mile, the crowd crept along Milwaukee Avenue onto West Diversey, ending at the Logan Square block where Delgado was slain last week.

— Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 11 Nov. 2026
As sound check ends in Atlanta, Nastanovich creeps toward the stage’s edge to survey his options for jumping off.

— Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 10 Nov. 2026

Definition of creep

Verb

The prosecution said the trajectory of the bullet showed that Jean was either getting up from his couch or cowering when Guyger fired at him.

— Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 1 Oct. 2026
Stuhlbarg, whose Vice President tends to cower in terror in the corner of the frame, becomes particularly evident as the movie’s comic secret weapon upon closer examination.

— Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of cower

Verb

Accompanying 48-hour pop-ups took place in October at two of Ulta Beauty’s LA outposts — Santa Monica and Westwood — resulting in snaking queues and surpassing sales targets by more than 62%, according to Miller.

— Ella Graveney, Vogue, 11 Nov. 2026
London installed granite rumble strips in Hyde Park, raised crosswalks across bike lanes at bus stops, and ran snaking paths through Van Gogh Walk in Brixton.

— Justin Davidson, Curbed, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of snake

Verb

Companies at the forefront of the AI boom, such as CoreWeave, Tesla, and SpaceX, saw share prices slide as markets priced in tighter Democratic regulatory oversight and potential restrictions on AI deployment.

— Michael Khouw, CNBC, 6 Nov. 2026
Paraguay’s bonds have posted some of the worst losses in emerging markets this week, and the guaraní has slid against the dollar.

— Isabel Debre, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026

Definition of slide

Verb

But snakes gonna slither, so Vance (who, to be fair, was never that into this war) is using the moment to subtly blame Hegseth, and the blow seems to have landed, with his party, and with his boss.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026
Python, in particular, slithered into several of our favorite looks, as seen on this showgoer with a distressed leather jacket, croc-effect leather skirt, and roomy Miu Miu tote.

— Laura Jackson, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of slither

Browse Nearby Words

grove

grovel

groveled

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“Grovel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grovel. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of grovel

verb

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