variants
or grovelling
1
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
variants
or grovelling
as in fawning
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for groveling
Verb
-
Skubal, apparently flinching with the noise, balked for only the second time in his career.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
24 Sep. 2025 -
Your stronger body will give you the confidence that comes from moving without flinching.—
Dana Santas,
CNN Money,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
At the time, officials concluded that a few mussels likely hitched a ride on a boat that had been in another infested area, most probably one of the Great Lakes in the Midwest, which are crawling with the critters.—
Shaun McKinnon,
AZCentral.com,
23 Sep. 2025
-
Tyriq Withers plays a rising quarterback who, in one skin-crawling scene — spoiler alert!—
Jack Smart,
PEOPLE,
21 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Americans are recoiling from the Democratic Party, and even in blue states like Colorado, Democrats are feeling the burn.—
The Denver Post Editorial Board,
Denver Post,
16 Sep. 2025
-
And the supporters who responded to his complaints about overzealous Democrats aren’t recoiling.—
Jonathan J. Cooper,
Twin Cities,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Hydroplaning is the term for when a vehicle begins sliding uncontrollably on wet roads.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
28 Sep. 2025
-
Hydroplaning is when a vehicle starts uncontrollably sliding on wet roads.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Western leaders have sought to paper over these inconvenient truths, including at their June G-7 and NATO summits, with obsequious efforts to flatter, humor, and cajole Trump.—
Stewart Patrick,
Foreign Affairs,
18 Sep. 2025
-
Von der Leyen did not appear obsequious in her meeting with Trump.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
29 July 2025
Verb
-
As a result, the poor Rottweiler could be seen cowering against the wall and looking incredibly nervous in the cat’s presence.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Sep. 2025
-
The commuter, who was still wearing her pizzeria uniform, was captured on train surveillance video cowering as her attacker towered over her minutes before the attack.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The study team investigated 54 crouching burials that had previously been found at 11 archaeological sites.—
Mindy Weisberger,
CNN Money,
15 Sep. 2025
-
The animatronic Death Eater crouching on a bookshelf casts a spell, then Dolores Umbridge appears on a screen, then a rhinoceros-like Erumpent tries to gore the riders with its horn.—
Bianca Bosker,
The Atlantic,
14 Sep. 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
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Cite this Entry
“Groveling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/groveling. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
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