crawl

¹crawl

verb \ˈkrȯl\

Definition of CRAWL

intransitive verb

1

: to move slowly in a prone position without or as if without the use of limbs <the snake crawled into its hole>

2

: to move or progress slowly or laboriously <traffic crawls along at 10 miles an hour>

3

: to advance by guile or servility <crawling into favor by toadying to his boss>

4

: to spread by extending stems or tendrils <a crawling vine>

5

a : to be alive or swarming with or as if with creeping things <a kitchen crawling with ants> b : to have the sensation of insects creeping over one <the story made her flesh crawl>

6

: to fail to stay evenly spread —used of paint, varnish, or glaze

transitive verb

1

: to move upon in or as if in a creeping manner <all the creatures that crawl the earth>

2

: to reprove harshly <they got no good right to crawl me for what I wrote — Marjorie K. Rawlings>

Examples of CRAWL

1. Does the baby crawl yet?
2. We got down on our knees and crawled through a small opening.
3. The baby crawled across the floor toward her mother.
4. The soldiers crawled forward on their bellies.
5. The snake crawled into its hole.
6. They're doing construction on the road, so traffic is crawling.
7. I worked late into the night, and it was 2 a.m. before I finally crawled into bed.
8. The bus crawled along the rough and narrow road.
9. The days slowly crawled by.
10. Work on the project has crawled to a standstill.

Origin of CRAWL

Middle English, from Old Norse krafla

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to CRAWL

Synonyms: belly, creep, grovel, slide, slither, snake, worm, wriggle

Antonyms: fly, race, speed, whiz (or whizz), zip

Related Words: crouch, squat; edge, inch, nose; skulk, sneak, steal, tiptoe

Near Antonyms: float, glide, sail; hurry, tear

see all synonyms and antonyms

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Rhymes with CRAWL

all, awl, ball, bawl, brawl, call, caul, doll, drawl, fall, gall, hall, haul, kraal, mall, maul, moll, pall, pawl, Saul, scall, scrawl, shawl, small, spall, sprawl, squall, stall, tall, thrall, trawl, wall, yawl