grovels

present tense third-person singular of grovel
1
as in cringes
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 crawls
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 grovels
Verb
  • Payton cringes at the mention of a sophomore slump, that defenses will figure out Nix.
    Troy Renck, Denver Post, 6 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • What to do if the -- if the original guy crawls out of his grave and wants his job back.
    ABC News, ABC News, 26 Oct. 2025
  • When a storm crawls, rainfall piles up over the same towns for days.
    Chris Dolce, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Sheinbaum quickly moves away and visibly flinches as the man attempts to put his arm around her.
    Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Snakes must move incredibly quickly to sink their fangs into prey before the victim flinches.
    Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • For Dimon, bureaucracy is a reflex that creeps into any large institution and shields leaders from reality.
    Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Meyers will continue being a name to watch as the deadline creeps closer.
    Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The Guthrie family cowers in obedient fear of its brooding patriarch (Peter Mullan).
    Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 5 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Two incumbents — west Charlotte’s Thelma Byers-Bailey and Summer Nunn, whose district snakes along the county’s southern border — chose not to run for reelection to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Board of Education.
    Josh Bergeron, Charlotte Observer, 2 Nov. 2025
  • In its search for ample sunlight, the species tightly snakes up trees.
    Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • There’s a break in the blinds and the moon slides in.
    Davon Loeb, PEOPLE, 8 Nov. 2025
  • The 55 Sport Yacht also has a spacious rear cockpit with a table and facing lounges, barstools outside of a window that slides open in the cockpit, and a foredeck lounge and table for up-front dining.
    Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 7 Nov. 2025
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Cite this Entry

“Grovels.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grovels. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.

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