groveled or grovelled; groveling or grovelling
1
: to creep with the face to the ground : crawl
2
a
: to lie or creep with the body prostrate in token of subservience or abasement
groveled at the feet of the king
b
: to abase oneself
would not grovel for political advantage
3
: to give oneself over to what is base or unworthy : wallow
groveling in self-pity
Examples of grovel in a Sentence
The peasants groveled before the king.
He had to grovel to get her to accept his apology.
He made a groveling apology to his girlfriend.
Recent Examples on the Web
The stringent businessman makes Marty suffer and grovel for his money, at one point exerting his power by spanking the young man’s bare bottom with a wooden ping-pong paddle.
—
Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 31 Dec. 2025
For all its faults, Survivor stands as the most influential reality TV show of all time, and to see Probst essentially grovel at the feet of Mr. Beast to get some of his audience share is genuinely icky.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2025
Rather than wait it out until January 2029, when magical thinking assumes the current transatlantic nightmare will come to an end, the EU needs to stop groveling and build greater sovereignty.
—Matthias Matthijs, Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 2025
My dog grovelled on her back before the elegant blond hounds, who each raised an eyebrow at her.
—Lauren Groff, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grovel
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.
Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 31 Dec. 2025
For all its faults, Survivor stands as the most influential reality TV show of all time, and to see Probst essentially grovel at the feet of Mr. Beast to get some of his audience share is genuinely icky.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2025
Rather than wait it out until January 2029, when magical thinking assumes the current transatlantic nightmare will come to an end, the EU needs to stop groveling and build greater sovereignty.
—Matthias Matthijs, Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 2025
My dog grovelled on her back before the elegant blond hounds, who each raised an eyebrow at her.
—Lauren Groff, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grovel
Cite this Entry
“Grovel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grovel. Accessed 3 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share