Definition of grovelnext
1
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

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2
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

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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 grovel For all its faults, Survivor stands as the most influential reality TV show of all time, and to see Probst essentially grovel at the feet of Mr. Beast to get some of his audience share is genuinely icky. Joe Reid, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2025 Rather than wait it out until January 2029, when magical thinking assumes the current transatlantic nightmare will come to an end, the EU needs to stop groveling and build greater sovereignty. Matthias Matthijs, Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 2025 Both men, of course, used Polis ‘ X post to quickly endorse themselves and to grovel before Polis’ equally superior intellect. Megan Schrader, Denver Post, 10 Dec. 2025 Continue reading … POINTING FINGERS – Former vice president accuses newspaper owners of 'groveling' to Trump in new book. FOXNews.com, 24 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for grovel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grovel
Verb
  • As Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe joined The View Thursday for an interview about his role in the new NBC comedy The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins, the superstar cringed when the show cued up a clip of one of his early auditions to play the boy wizard.
    Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Mar. 2026
  • Some folks are happy just being on the plane, while others see a middle seat and instantly cringe.
    Carin Ryan, Travel + Leisure, 3 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Keep beverages and sweets covered, and be wary of drinking from soda cans outdoors since wasps can crawl inside.
    Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 5 Mar. 2026
  • The animal had crawled into a drain pipe during a cold snap and could not turn around to escape.
    Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 4 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Freeny absorbed the impact like Marvin Hagler, hardly flinching and brushing it off.
    Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 6 Mar. 2026
  • Everyone in the barber shop flinched at the sound and tensed their shoulders.
    Keri Heath, Austin American Statesman, 5 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • That later Presidents did indeed engage in military action without consulting Congress, creeping on to a power reserved for the legislature, is a fact of the past century and a half of American history but especially since the rise of the national-security state during the Cold War.
    Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2026
  • In full sun or partial shade and well-draining soil, creeping thyme puts on a show, with small flowers covering the ground like a colorful carpet.
    Jamie McIntosh, The Spruce, 3 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The latest release, Resident Evil Requiem, tries to appeal to both sides by starring a new character, the cowering FBI agent Grace Ashcroft, and a series favorite, action hero Leon Kennedy.
    Jay Peters, The Verge, 1 Mar. 2026
  • And his reaction’s not going to be to cower away.
    Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 28 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • With roses snaked around the mic stands to match the roses on her cowboy hat, Kirke strummed acoustic guitar with minimal accompaniment — pedal steel guitar, bass and drums.
    Ed Masley, AZCentral.com, 27 Feb. 2026
  • In southwest Russia, where the border with eastern Ukraine snakes down to the Sea of Azov, lies the city of Rostov-on-Don, which serves as the headquarters of Russia’s Southern Military District.
    Sophie Spiegelberger, New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Asian shares slide in a volatile session.
    Nasteho Said, Bloomberg, 9 Mar. 2026
  • Eight-foot glass doors slide open to the coastline.
    Angela Tafoya, Vogue, 9 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Hi-hats and snares appear in fragmentary bursts, icy synths precipitate and evaporate, and Zel slithers wryly in the cut.
    Olivier Lafontant, Pitchfork, 25 Feb. 2026
  • Where a good firm stone would help the snail push back against the starfish and right herself again, the sand would slither out from under or close over her; and the starfish would bear down, extruding its stomach to engulf her, its digestive juices dissolving her alive.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Grovel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grovel. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.

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