as in intimidated
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as in bullied
to make timid or fearful by or as if by threats
a sharp glare cowed the child into being quiet
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cowed
Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2026
Musk, who owns X, wants to promote the belief that the truth can be found on social media, and that the practitioners of real journalism are allegedly independent amateurs, such as Shirley, who can ask questions without being cowed by the woke agenda.
—Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2026
Early Saturday morning, Venezuela's Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello appeared flanked by police, saying the Venezuelan government will not be cowed.
—Carrie Kahn, NPR, 3 Jan. 2026
There is something so poignant about the scenes of Richard as a young boy in Whittier, cowed by his bitterly angry father and desperate to please his intensely religious mother, who is played with cold grace by Mary Steenburgen.
—Tim Greiving, HollywoodReporter, 20 Dec. 2025
Where others might be cowed or moved to tears, Peyton is amused.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2025
The presidency must not be cowed by editorial board tantrums.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025
If the Democrats are cowed by that threat, their leaders are not showing it.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 30 Sep. 2025
CEOs are cowed by the list, the FT’s Gillian Tett says.
—Diane Brady, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
The senator and Navy veteran isn’t likely to be cowed by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s lawless attempt to silence him by seeking to demote him post-retirement.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for cowed
Adjective
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But for those who might feel intimidated or not go because areas might be sold out or too crowded, Gateway Park is really the gateway to the outdoors.—
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With this big change, the museum has worked to create a space where visitors to feel immersed in art without feeling intimidated to learn.—
Verb
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For the second game running, Omari Hutchinson was too easily bullied off the ball in a dangerous area.—
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By the time Zoe turns up dead, stabbed to death in her bathtub, Anna begins to put the pieces together that Lexi, her work nemesis, is actually Catherine—the girl her friends had bullied at school.—
Adjective
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Not to the extent that the user is necessarily being browbeaten.—
Verb
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And my father—lovable but imposing, a strapping six feet three inches tall with a thick, bristly mustache and a rumbling Sergeant Schultz accent that frightened my friends half to death—loved to tell stories.—
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Fortune had reported in its investigation that people within the agency were frightened of examining Boring Company after two staffers who worked on the case had been disciplined.—
Adjective
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So bringing something that’s a little edgier and a little darker feels like the way theater should go, and usually goes when people feel oppressed.—
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Forget Martha’s Vineyard, poor oppressed victim Ayanna be scooping up Nantucket beachfront.—
Adjective
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Mix in a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes or a dash of hot sauce for heat.—
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Add the scotch and Calvados and some crushed ice, and stir about 10 to 15 seconds, until a small frost begins to show on the outside of the mug.—
Adjective
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Not in any way, uh, a downtrodden victim.—
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Much of her derision is reserved for Joe (Adam Godley), her downtrodden husband and more pragmatic partner-in-crime.—
Cite this Entry
“Cowed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cowed. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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