groveled

variants or grovelled
past tense of grovel
1
as in recoiled
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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for groveled
Verb
  • As detailed in Tina Fey’s 2011 memoir, Bossypants, Jimmy Fallon, who was also in the show’s cast at the time, jokingly recoiled and told Poehler to stop it.
    Anna Holmes, The Atlantic, 21 Aug. 2025
  • Markets recoiled, and in just one week the S&P 500 plunged more than 12 percent while both Value and Growth stocks suffered double-digit percentage losses.
    John Buckingham, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • On Wednesday, a similar scene closely followed as the funeral procession for Kansas City, Kansas, police officer Hunter Simoncic crawled along through the highways and streets in the community Simoncic worked to keep safe.
    Emily Curiel, Kansas City Star, 3 Sep. 2025
  • Eby crawled across a ladder over the water to the vehicle, then crawled back with the child on his back, the video shows.
    Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The last time Congress faced a deadline to extend government funding, Senate Democrats flinched, giving Republicans the votes needed to avert a government shutdown without extracting any concessions.
    Nik Popli, Time, 4 Sep. 2025
  • However, Machado flinched as the ball approached and then zipped past his glove.
    Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Despite turnaround efforts, shares of Kraft Heinz have slid roughly 60% since the merger closed in 2015.
    Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2025
  • Plenty of guys have slid into her DMs, but none are local to her.
    Charles Trepany, USA Today, 29 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • But we’re not so easily cowered.
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Their layers of meaning multiplied and slithered out of my grasp.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 25 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • During a hospital stay, Roy’s enfeebled mother fixates on the caste and religious affiliations of the doctors treating her—the sort of thing that will be familiar to anyone who has cringed at a diminished elder’s unfiltered prejudices.
    Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 3 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • This spring, my grandson crouched beside me to plant peas, 20 years after his father helped dig the first bed.
    The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Aug. 2025
  • Duran crouched, hands on his knees, staring at his feet, as the Phillies’ training staff rushed to his side.
    Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 16 Aug. 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

“Groveled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/groveled. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

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