groveled

verb

variants or grovelled
past tense of grovel
1
as in cringed
to draw back or crouch down in fearful submission the way in which the abused dog would grovel whenever its owner came near

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in crawled
to move slowly with the body close to the ground because of their anatomy, bats can only grovel while moving along the ground

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for groveled
  1. cringed
  2. crawled
  3. flinched
  4. crept
  5. cowered
  6. slid
  7. snaked
  8. slithered
Verb
  • So when there was a kissing scene, Larry cringed, just cringed.
    — Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Mingione cringed when asked if any of his players had gotten hurt by a hit by pitch.
    — Mitch Light, New York Times, 22 May 2026
Definition of cringed
Verb
  • One roach crawled on glassware in the dishwashing area and eight were under the dishwasher.
    — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The mural is as if the octopus crawled out of the large vase filled with water and flowers and is helping to feed the birds.
    — Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of crawled
Verb
  • The teen in the green sweatshirt, Williams, momentarily flinched from the gunshot.
    — Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Sipp slightly flinched his left arm before throwing a pitch to Emmanuel Burriss, allowing Miguel Tejada to score and sending San Francisco to its fourth straight win.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2026
Definition of flinched
Verb
  • Tech has crept into every facet of everyday life, like an invisible fog of ones and zeros.
    — Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The height of this strategy shift was the Sneak Attack by Roger (SABR), in which Federer crept forward to return opponent’s serves almost on the half volley, shortening points and taking away time from his opponent.
    — Amelie Claydon, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of crept
Verb
  • Not the kind who cowered from viruses and obsessed over death.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The other customers cowered in the corners, while crowds formed at the windows outside, shrieking and recording the scene on their phones.
    — Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 10 July 2026
Definition of cowered
Verb
  • The debris avalanche, or landslide, slid down 6,000 feet on the slope, the USGS said.
    — Jon Haworth, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Autodesk – The maker of 3D design software slid 5% after its earnings projections disappointed Wall Street.
    — Alex Harring, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of slid
Verb
  • But the real action was in line for the Breen meet and greet, which snaked across the lobby of the Regal’s mezzanine level after the second screening.
    — Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The historic flood that snaked its way through Central Indiana over the weekend shook the region, damaging homes, businesses and roads as portions of White River crested up to 24 feet.
    — Marissa Meador, IndyStar, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of snaked
Verb
  • The snake, later identified as an approximately eight-foot-long Burmese python, had slithered beneath the floor of a wooden shed.
    — Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Laura stepped right into her body, felt a small resistance and then the give as the rival slithered, eagerly, into the air.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 July 2026
Definition of slithered
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

grovel
groveled
groveler
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Groveled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/groveled. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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