cocking

verb

present participle of cock
as in tilting
to set or cause to be at an angle cocked his head to the side as he listened to her quizzically

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cocking
  1. tilting
  2. sloping
  3. leaning
  4. angling
Verb
  • The jacarandas were in full effusion, stately and fragrant, tilting over the streets and scattering petals on the sidewalks.
    — Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026
  • What history shows is that a debt stock that keeps tilting toward shorter maturities is usually a sign that borrowing costs have begun to dictate policy.
    — James Broughel, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of tilting
Verb
  • The resulting low-slung structure is clad in understated materials, with a sloping bronze-colored roof, stone chimney, expansive glazing, and teak siding.
    — David Foxley, Architectural Digest, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The Weekly Pattern Turning to the weekly chart, RRC has been trading in an upward-sloping channel going back to late 2022.
    — Frank Cappelleri, CNBC, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of sloping
Verb
  • Alonso is leaning into Chelsea’s strength — the transitional attacking power of his front three — and working on protecting the weakness, giving up too much space for his team to defend.
    — Jon Mackenzie, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Seen in profile or three-quarters from behind, the artist is seated, leaning toward the sheet.
    — Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of leaning
Verb
  • Pulling the sofa slightly forward or angling chairs instead of pressing them flush to the wall helps define zones and encourages conversation.
    — Angelika Pokovba, Martha Stewart, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The trio began angling to turn the crazy tale into a documentary.
    — Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of angling
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.

Browse Nearby Words

cockiness
cocking
cocking a snook (at)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cocking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cocking. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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