groveling 1 of 2

variants or grovelling
present participle of grovel
1
as in flinching
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 crawling
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

groveling

2 of 2

adjective

variants or grovelling

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for groveling
Verb
  • Share relevant proof that mirrors their situation, name your price without flinching, and close with one clear question.
    Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
  • The Colorado Rapids aren’t flinching in the midst of a wild summer transfer window.
    Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 20 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The centipede the Redditor found crawling in her bed.
    Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025
  • My death was supposed to be crawling up inside of the locker that the cat used to go in.
    Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • And the supporters who responded to his complaints about overzealous Democrats aren’t recoiling.
    Jonathan J. Cooper, Twin Cities, 6 Sep. 2025
  • The moment was caught on camera by fans, with Bryan seen slightly recoiling after the hit.
    Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • In recent weeks grosses for the show have slipped considerably, with the weekly take at the end of August sliding to an unsustainable $505,142.
    Greg Evans, Deadline, 7 Sep. 2025
  • Last year at Monza, Red Bull struggled with balance, with the car sliding at times.
    Kanzah Maktoum, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The Texas State Legislature was even more obsequious, approving a $15 million incentive package in 2013.
    Guthrie Scrimgeour, Rolling Stone, 17 June 2025
  • Softening the strongman The film starts with the loyal and somewhat obsequious journalist Pavel Zarubin interviewing Putin at the end of his long working day in the Kremlin, at 1:30 a.m.
    Peter Rutland, The Conversation, 9 May 2025
Verb
  • The staff member can be seen cowering down to fend off the attack and then turns and squares up to the irate passenger, who’s wearing a green colored top and army green pants.
    Michael Dorgan, Fox News, 29 Nov. 2024
  • The trauma of war is ever-present in Honda's vision, which sees citizens fleeing for their lives and cowering in the rubble of their homes.
    Katie Rife, EW.com, 18 Oct. 2024
Verb
  • In footage shared by the AP, the leopard was seen crouching on the ground next to the boy's vehicle before chasing the car and leaping at the window.
    Gabrielle Rockson, People.com, 19 Aug. 2025
  • Even crouching behind the catcher at home plate came with a series of details for students to master.
    Becky Sullivan, NPR, 13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Bahrain is ruled by Sunnis and has a mostly Shiite population permanently restless over its servile condition.
    Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 13 June 2025
  • His servile defense secretary has threatened to deploy the military in other cities.
    Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 13 June 2025
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

“Groveling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/groveling. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

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