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Recent Examples of cowering
Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 5 Feb. 2026
In some sense, there’s a palpable disgust that this community has responded not by cowering, not by submitting, not by being grateful for this sort of armed invasion that is meant to stress everyone out, but by trying to foil it.
—Hanna Rosin, The Atlantic, 25 Jan. 2026
Goetz saw two female passengers on the ground, paralyzed and cowering in fear.
—Literary Hub, 21 Jan. 2026
Look to your right, where another patron, clad in the skin of a lion, will be cowering under his seat.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
The kids were heard cowering in fear.
—Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 22 Dec. 2025
The Spruce Pets explains that socially anxious dogs might display timid behaviour such as pulling away, cowering, trembling or looking confused when approached by unfamiliar dogs.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2025
The staff member can be seen cowering down to fend off the attack and then turns and squares up to the irate passenger, who’s wearing a green colored top and army green pants.
—Michael Dorgan, Fox News, 29 Nov. 2024
The trauma of war is ever-present in Honda's vision, which sees citizens fleeing for their lives and cowering in the rubble of their homes.
—Katie Rife, EW.com, 18 Oct. 2024
Verb
The homeless man accused of raping a 14-year-old girl in a Manhattan apartment building was found cowering in a closet in upstate New York when cops zeroed in on his location, prosecutors said Thursday.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 5 Feb. 2026
In some sense, there’s a palpable disgust that this community has responded not by cowering, not by submitting, not by being grateful for this sort of armed invasion that is meant to stress everyone out, but by trying to foil it.
—Hanna Rosin, The Atlantic, 25 Jan. 2026
Goetz saw two female passengers on the ground, paralyzed and cowering in fear.
—Literary Hub, 21 Jan. 2026
Look to your right, where another patron, clad in the skin of a lion, will be cowering under his seat.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
The kids were heard cowering in fear.
—Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 22 Dec. 2025
The Spruce Pets explains that socially anxious dogs might display timid behaviour such as pulling away, cowering, trembling or looking confused when approached by unfamiliar dogs.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2025
The staff member can be seen cowering down to fend off the attack and then turns and squares up to the irate passenger, who’s wearing a green colored top and army green pants.
—Michael Dorgan, Fox News, 29 Nov. 2024
The trauma of war is ever-present in Honda's vision, which sees citizens fleeing for their lives and cowering in the rubble of their homes.
—Katie Rife, EW.com, 18 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cowering
Adjective
-
Re-wash and dry the garment, using these tips to avoid re-shrinking, to prevent a residue from the conditioner from setting.—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In it, her fellow students can be seen gasping, covering their faces and cringing.—
Catherine Santino,
PEOPLE,
30 Nov. 2025
-
Encouraged to see Jones sorta respond, Mackie kept babbling on and on and on about his dad, unaware that everyone else in the room was cringing.—
Lisa Gutierrez,
Kansas City Star,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Carroll County needs leadership, not submissive accountants dutifully sharpening the axe.—
Randy Linville,
Baltimore Sun,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Curiosity flickers across his face when his submissive surprises him.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In this Tudor renovation, designer Barrie Benson combined 10 different textiles and prints in a single, orderly viewpoint without flinching.—
Zoe Gowen,
Southern Living,
29 Dec. 2025
-
Human reflexes naturally protect the eyes; blinking, tearing, and flinching are some of the fastest human reflexes.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
8 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
That amendment had been made a dead letter by Jim Crow state legislatures and an acquiescent Supreme Court.—
Robert D. Bland,
The Conversation,
3 Feb. 2026
-
As the right rises, Trump puts enemies on notice The Trump administration’s attack on Venezuela extends its broader crusade to assemble a column of allied — or at least acquiescent — governments in Latin America, sailing with the political winds blowing in much of the region.—
Megan Janetsky,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Accommodating, which is unassertive and cooperative, prioritizes the needs and preferences of others over one’s own in order to maintain harmony.—
Ellen Choi,
Forbes,
10 Mar. 2025
-
Shy and unassertive, she’s often been overlooked by others and kept to herself.—
Yasmine AlSayyad,
The New Yorker,
9 Jan. 2023
Adjective
-
The company’s narrative is that payroll and workforce data, properly interpreted, can help executives anticipate risks, model future obligations, and adjust workforce strategies with a confidence grounded in compliant, evaluated records.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
9 Feb. 2026
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The loss of seats was needed to be compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations, Perry said.—
Jim Harrington,
Mercury News,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The album’s 20 songs are the resigned and rueful sound of him making amends with his obscurity, and his larger place in the universe.—
Jayson Greene,
Pitchfork,
14 Jan. 2026
-
When legends who have left the public eye or dealt with illness pass away, there’s a sort of resigned expectation, but that wasn’t the case with Keaton, who worked all the way to the end before dying at 79.—
Brian Tallerico,
Vulture,
14 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cowering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cowering. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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