crouched; crouching; crouches
1
a
: to lower the body stance especially by bending the legs
The sprinter crouched and was ready to go.
b
: to lie close to the ground with the legs bent
… a pair of cats, crouching on the brink of a fight.—
Aldous Huxley
Aldous Huxley2
: to bend or bow servilely : cringe
3
: to stand at a low height
Cottages crouched along the river.
: to bow especially in humility or fear : bend
The dog crouched its head.
crouch
noun
Synonyms
Examples of crouch in a Sentence
She crouched down, trying to get a closer look at the spider.
The lion crouched in the tall grass, waiting to attack the gazelle.
Recent Examples on the Web
When Kershaw returned to the bullpen, Ellis crouched behind the plate.
—Andy McCullough, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2024
The first picture showed the actress as a two-year-old, crouched down and dressed in an adorable frilly outfit, while a second showed her in a promotional photo for the brand.
—Kimberlee Speakman, Peoplemag, 11 May 2024
While crouched in legalese, the bond documents are full of warnings that investors might not get their money back.
—Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 9 May 2024
Next to him, Kyle Farmer crouched and gave a thumbs up.
—Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 2 May 2024
Throughout 1958, elderly nuns hiked up their habits, crouched over the containers, and voided their bladders.
—Cheri Lucas Rowlands, Longreads, 1 May 2024
First, an officer spotted a car parked against traffic about 2:30 a.m. on New Year’s Day and noticed Anderson crouching behind the driver’s door.
—Ashley Luthern, Journal Sentinel, 2 May 2024
Video of the standoff that was captured by another neighbor shows officers crouching by a vehicle and pointing their guns up at a red brick house.
—Eduardo Medina, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2024
Krause, a deputy fire marshal for the state of Oregon, crouched down to get a closer look and saw a frightened puppy hiding.
—Cathy Free, Washington Post, 14 Apr. 2024
Andy McCullough, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2024
The first picture showed the actress as a two-year-old, crouched down and dressed in an adorable frilly outfit, while a second showed her in a promotional photo for the brand.
—Kimberlee Speakman, Peoplemag, 11 May 2024
While crouched in legalese, the bond documents are full of warnings that investors might not get their money back.
—Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 9 May 2024
Next to him, Kyle Farmer crouched and gave a thumbs up.
—Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 2 May 2024
Throughout 1958, elderly nuns hiked up their habits, crouched over the containers, and voided their bladders.
—Cheri Lucas Rowlands, Longreads, 1 May 2024
First, an officer spotted a car parked against traffic about 2:30 a.m. on New Year’s Day and noticed Anderson crouching behind the driver’s door.
—Ashley Luthern, Journal Sentinel, 2 May 2024
Video of the standoff that was captured by another neighbor shows officers crouching by a vehicle and pointing their guns up at a red brick house.
—Eduardo Medina, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2024
Krause, a deputy fire marshal for the state of Oregon, crouched down to get a closer look and saw a frightened puppy hiding.
—Cathy Free, Washington Post, 14 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'crouch.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near crouch
Cite this Entry
“Crouch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crouch. Accessed 18 May. 2024.
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