COWING Synonyms: 63 Similar and Opposite Words

cowing

verb

present participle of cow

as in intimidating

to make timid or fearful by or as if by threats a sharp glare cowed the child into being quiet

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of cowing Instead of cowing Iran, the Israeli strike escalated the war. — Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cowing

Verb

While their titles might seem intimidating, the reality is that these tried-and-true techniques can be really effective for anyone.

— Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Aug. 2026
Recreational leagues can be intimidating, are often male-dominated and require a level of skill too high for casual players.

— Lindsay Davenport, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of intimidating

Verb

But, said Vincent Joralemon, a director at UC Berkeley’s Center for Law & Technology, the states aren’t asking for Meta to be held liable over predatory or bullying messages on their own.

— Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 18 Aug. 2026
These numbers do not mean every disagreement counts as bullying.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of bullying

Verb

Be a menace to people in the community, driving his boat 70 to 80 miles per hour, driving around scaring the heck out of people, taking people's lives.

— Lauren Victory, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
Notably, the research shows that pumas contribute most to decreased deer-vehicle collisions by scaring their prey, and not killing them, highlights Mark Elbroch, director of the Puma Program for Panthera and also a study co-author.

— Margherita Bassi, Popular Science, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of scaring

Browse Nearby Words

cowhiding

cowing

cowinner

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Cowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cowing. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of cowing

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on cowing

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

prowess

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes