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
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 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
-
Goalkeepers can intimidate strikers into poor shooting decisions with a good stare-down.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
24 July 2025
-
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
-
During his childhood, he was isolated and bullied and eventually became addicted to heroin and struggled with his weight.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
20 July 2025
-
Edmondson bullied Lapin the entire round and the Ukrainian looked gas.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
19 July 2025
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
No doubt that White House aide Stephen Miller, incensed by the possibility that some hard-working immigrants might be left alone, cornered the president and badgered him into rescinding brief and limited restrictions in service to his goal of having immigration agents make 3,000 arrests per day.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
18 June 2025
-
While Trump had yet to address the CPI numbers himself Wednesday, the president has been badgering Chair Jerome Powell and his cohorts on the Federal Open Market Committee to cut rates.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
11 June 2025
Verb
-
Many dogs and other pets were startled by the noise and ran away, shelter officials said, and good Samaritans found them and brought them to shelters.—
Marcus D. Smith
July 7,
Sacbee.com,
7 July 2025
-
On June 2, the heart of Sicily—Mount Etna—experienced a volcanic eruption that startled tourists, summoned emergency alerts, and shot lava and ash high into the sky.—
Erica Firpo,
AFAR Media,
4 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cow. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share