grovel

After the commissioner makes this conceited Yank grovel, Marty simply replies, “It’s every man for himself where I come from.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 23, 2025

On Monday, Gov. Kathy Hochul made Suozzi drive to Albany to all but grovel for her support.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 8, 2023

A Syracuse University dean performed a similar grovel for the same offense.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 21, 2022

Elrond isn’t the only elf who has to grovel among the rabble in this episode.

From New York Times ● Sep. 23, 2022

“And she wouldn’t accept it. Well, that happens sometimes. Sometimes we have to grovel to show we really mean it.”

From "The House of the Scorpion" by Nancy Farmer

Instead of mandating, directing, or using the word “shall,” the code grovels before its own authors, flattering them with meek suggestions that justices “should,” “should not” and might “endeavor to” act in certain ways.

From Salon ● Nov. 24, 2023

It’s easy for an ego like his to grow wings and fly when, even as a washed-up quarterback, an NFL coach grovels for your services.

From Washington Post ● Oct. 9, 2022

“Everyone grovels to Graydon and other writers there and covets invitations to their parties,” said Leslee Dart, a publicist whose clients include Tom Hanks, Woody Allen and Meryl Streep.

From New York Times ● Sep. 9, 2013

"To Entertain a Small Hope That Might Allay My Heartache" features a letter in which Kemal grovels, still in its envelope.

From New York Times ● Oct. 4, 2012

He grovels before you in the dust of humility.

From The Ten-foot Chain or, Can Love Survive the Shackles? A Unique Symposium by Achmed Abdullah

For exactly a quarter of a century, I’ve grasped and groveled and guessed.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 8, 2025

Franchises, of course, have always pandered — it’s in their D.N.A. — but rarely has one groveled quite so thirstily for fan approval.

From New York Times ● Jan. 13, 2022

He groveled, and then hedged, then tried to walk it all back with the absurdly laughable claim that he confused the word “would” for “wouldn’t”.

From The Guardian ● Jul. 22, 2018

Pick meeee: Cities including Boston, Ottawa, New York, and Tucson have groveled at Jeff Bezos’ feet in their applications to host Amazon’s second headquarters that were due on Thursday.

From Slate ● Oct. 19, 2017

With some you postured and with some you groveled and with some you were imperious.

From "The Killer Angels: The Classic Novel of the Civil War" by Michael Shaara

It quotes: "Even if he grovelled to us on his knees, it wouldn't be enough."

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

Months later, upon seeing how quickly Dubai had sprawled outwards, he returned to court and grovelled.

From The Guardian ● May 16, 2016

"I really didn't mean to imply Becky had failed in any way," she later grovelled.

From The Guardian ● Aug. 4, 2012

Less than three months after their foolish decision, Coke’s bosses grovelled to customers and reintroduced classic Coke.

From Economist ● Mar. 29, 2012

Then crawling to Frodo’s feet he grovelled before him, whispering hoarsely: a shudder ran over him, as if the words shook his very bones with fear.

From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien

They want illiterate, groveling serfs, who live in fear and don’t stick around too long.

From Salon ● Nov. 23, 2025

And then there are the endless new pain points for Americans—the rejected claims, the surprise billing, the groveling for coverage in the face of capricious, error-plagued, and rejection-heavy A.I algorithms.

From Slate ● Mar. 3, 2025

In the heartstopping series finale of “Succession” on Sunday night, striving Midwesterner Tom Wambsgans was named chief executive of Waystar Royco, completing his transformation from groveling buffoon to business titan.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2023

Within two days, Sweet produced a groveling apology, in which he indicted himself for a “ham-fisted attempt at provocation” that “alienated some of my Black colleagues and friends” and for which he was “deeply sorry.”

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 2, 2022

Rehearsing whimpers and groveling positions as she climbed to her lookout, she got ready to tell Amaroq how help­ less she was in his own language.

From "Julie of the Wolves" by Jean Craighead George

She told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme there appears to be an understanding that everything will move on following Schofield's "grovelling apology".

From BBC ● May 28, 2023

"Trying to run around with your hand outstretched, grovelling, begging for money, is pointless," Putin said in a televised address to Russia's political, military and business elite.

From Reuters ● Feb. 21, 2023

But its immediate collapse ended hopes of those new sources of income and forced the Glazers and FSG to make grovelling apologies to fans.

From Washington Times ● Nov. 27, 2022

And there is Orson Welles as Falstaff, and Falstaff is grovelling for Henry V. He’s banished.

From The New Yorker ● Oct. 28, 2019

‘Mercy, lord!’ whined Wormtongue, grovelling on the ground.

From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien