as in to intimidate
to make timid or fearful by or as if by threats
a sharp glare cowed the child into being quiet
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cow
Who can say that ratcheting up the intimidation won't cow Congress and leave Trump to have his way with the world?
—
Raul A. Reyes, Newsweek, 22 Jan. 2025
The 2019 strikes did not cow Pakistan or separatist militants; the cycle of attack and reprisal persists, with each incident raising the stakes for escalation between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
—Sushant Singh, Foreign Affairs, 29 Apr. 2025
Lazzarini promised that the agency would not be cowed by Israel’s actions.
—Eugenia Yosef and Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 28 Apr. 2025
And there’s no money to compensate for the damage that the mere presence of wolves does to cow herds.
—Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cow
Raul A. Reyes, Newsweek, 22 Jan. 2025
The 2019 strikes did not cow Pakistan or separatist militants; the cycle of attack and reprisal persists, with each incident raising the stakes for escalation between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
—Sushant Singh, Foreign Affairs, 29 Apr. 2025
Lazzarini promised that the agency would not be cowed by Israel’s actions.
—Eugenia Yosef and Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 28 Apr. 2025
And there’s no money to compensate for the damage that the mere presence of wolves does to cow herds.
—Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cow
Verb
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Goalkeepers can intimidate strikers into poor shooting decisions with a good stare-down.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
24 July 2025
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Cycling shoes can be intimidating—particularly the idea of wearing something that locks your feet right to your bike’s pedals.—
Jennifer Heimlich,
SELF,
23 July 2025
Verb
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Researchers have seen that wild horses and burros will hog water tanks, streams, and other water sources — often to the detriment of native critters like deer and antelope, which are easily bullied by a big stallion.—
Dac Collins,
Outdoor Life,
31 July 2025
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After all, living with a drunk step-mom, being bullied at school, and failing all her classes isn’t what it’s cracked up to be.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
28 July 2025
Verb
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Stink bugs tend to drop when frightened, so fill a cup with soapy water and hold it under the stink bug.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
19 July 2025
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What starts as a simple favor to keep her great-niece turns into a wild Halloween night filled with jump scares and pranks — but as usual, nothing frightens her more than bad manners and disrespect. Boo 2!—
Jane LaCroix,
People.com,
13 July 2025
Verb
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There’s a thread of carbolic soap, though not enough to scare away those even moderately familiar with smoky Islay Scotch.—
David Thomas Tao,
Forbes.com,
23 July 2025
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Officials used horns, sirens and lights to scare the dogs away from Culbertson, according to KC Pet Project documents obtained by The Star.—
Noelle Alviz-Gransee,
Kansas City Star,
22 July 2025
Verb
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Wednesday brought more news that could influence the Fed's path, Trump's badgering notwithstanding.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
30 July 2025
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Each bears a name co-opted into the English language to characterize human violence as animalistic, and include a definition—to badger: to pester, to bother.—
Emily Van Duyne
July 24,
Literary Hub,
24 July 2025
Verb
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He remains easily startled by loud noises, avoids direct eye contact, and is wary of new visitors.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 July 2025
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The formidable climb of YouTube in audience and influence has indeed startled the pop culture universe.—
Peter Bart,
Deadline,
17 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cow. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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