groveled

variants or grovelled
Definition of grovelednext
past tense of grovel
1
as in cringed
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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2
as in crawled
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

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for groveled
Verb
  • For a decade, viewers have cringed at Amanda Batula and Kyle Cooke’s rocky relationship, the dénouement of which is currently playing out on season ten of Summer House.
    Rebecca Jennings, Vulture, 1 Apr. 2026
  • And the mother of Carter, a 5-year-old boy, cringed in fear when Carter (who was celebrating his birthday) was approached at a neighborhood bike park by a group of much older boys.
    Chris John Amorosino, Hartford Courant, 26 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • When a Republican says something foolish, network anchors react like a gator just crawled into the studio wearing a MAGA hat.
    Larry Clifton, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 May 2026
  • The next day, steady rains caused the F1 Academy race to be cancelled and the first 20 laps of the Miami Grand Prix to be crawled behind the safety car.
    David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 2 May 2026
Verb
  • Meta Platforms is splashing some serious cash on AI infrastructure, and investors have flinched.
    Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 29 Apr. 2026
  • The recruiting operation has barely flinched, as Bama has reeled in its fair share of five-stars and top five classes since DeBoer's arrival in January 2024.
    Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Technology has crept into one of the oldest hobbies known to humanity.
    Jamie Siebrase, Denver Post, 8 May 2026
  • Every scene that would otherwise communicate pandemonium is rendered in the language of sub-Ryan Murphy slop, as if a movie whose production costs reportedly crept toward $200 million could only afford a few extras at a time.
    Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 27 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • One of the dogs ran off while the other cowered under a vehicle parked in the resident’s driveway.
    Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Apr. 2026
  • On a night there was something tangible to play for — which might not be the case in the three remaining regular-season games — Erik Spoelstra’s team cowered in the moment, with a 17-point deficit before halftime, a gap that would grow to 27, in what turned into a 121-95 loss at Scotiabank Arena.
    Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 8 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • So McCarthy slid into the DMs (direct messages) of Artemis 2 commander and NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman.
    Josh Dinner, Space.com, 9 May 2026
  • The two interconnected frame pieces then slid into each other, with handy round rubber stickers on the legs to keep the steel from scratching the floor.
    Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 8 May 2026
Verb
  • Airport-security lines snaked into terminal basements or out their front doors.
    Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2026
  • As rain poured on the northern provinces of Iran in late March, a somber crowd snaked through the mountain ranges of Asara carrying the coffin of Mohammad Reza Kia.
    Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 7 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Boston ended the quarter with a 33-18 lead after Tatum slithered through three Sixers defenders for a dunk, then shot an outlet pass to Jordan Walsh for a transition layup.
    Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 19 Apr. 2026
  • The driver had a rough idea as to when the snake slithered into his vehicle.
    Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 7 Apr. 2026
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Groveled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/groveled. Accessed 12 May. 2026.

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