crouched; crouching; crouches

intransitive verb

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
2
: to bend or bow servilely : cringe
3
: to stand at a low height
Cottages crouched along the river.

transitive verb

: to bow especially in humility or fear : bend
The dog crouched its head.
crouch noun

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
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.
What disrupts the playful opening to what will become a quietly devastating look at PTSD, however, is a sudden cut to a girl crouching next to the body. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 7 Mar. 2025 Shaver crouched on her knees as the sun started to rise, carefully lifting the hatchlings out of their box and laying them on the sand facing the vast sea, guarding them from crabs and gulls, herding stray hatchlings in the right direction. Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Mar. 2025 The clip, which has resurfaced on social media, shows Trump Jr. crouched in tall grass beside a pile of dead ducks, describing his prey. Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025 Eventually, the camera revealed Bell crouched beside Gossip Girl star Leighton Meester, joking that a hangry Meester wrote the dialogue. Lindsay Kimble, People.com, 24 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for crouch

Word History

Etymology

Middle English

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of crouch was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Crouch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crouch. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

crouch

verb
: to stoop or bend low with the arms and legs close to the body
crouch noun

More from Merriam-Webster on crouch

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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