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as in to delay
to move or act slowly
the deadline is fast approaching, so this is no time to crawl
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of crawl
Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 14 June 2026
The challenge, of course, is that cleaning baseboards often involves crawling around on hands and knees, a task few people are eager to do.
—Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 13 June 2026
Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 2 June 2026
The bar crawl is free to attend, and tickets for the musical are available at dadsgarage.com/gutenberg.
—Olivia Wakim, AJC.com, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for crawl
Verb
All good things have to come to an end, but his win streak was snapped in even more disappointing fashion when his car crawled to a halt with just five laps to go on Sunday.
—Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 14 June 2026
The challenge, of course, is that cleaning baseboards often involves crawling around on hands and knees, a task few people are eager to do.
—Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 13 June 2026
Noun
Vote counting in the primary for governor slowed to a crawl several hours after polls closed across California at 8 p.m. Pacific Time on June 2, marking the end of voting in the nation's most populous state.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 2 June 2026
The bar crawl is free to attend, and tickets for the musical are available at dadsgarage.com/gutenberg.
—Olivia Wakim, AJC.com, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for crawl
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crawl
Verb
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The look of elation that creeps over his face is a perfect encapsulation of everything that long-suffering Knicks fans were feeling when the ad aired.—
Hershal Pandya,
Vulture,
16 June 2026
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But the sheer brutality and creeping terror of the simplistic opening scene makes the rest of the film — with its gratuitous set pieces and CGI gore — seem much more inelegant.—
Brianna Zigler,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 June 2026
Verb
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As the conflict in the Middle East has dragged on, pressure has been building on Capitol Hill to intervene.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
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In an unprecedented moved in May, Lebanon filed a formal complaint against Iran at the United Nations Security Council, directly accusing Tehran of violating the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations for interfering in its sovereign decisions and dragging the country into war.—
Mireille Rebeiz,
The Conversation,
18 June 2026
Verb
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And schools that delay submitting transfer paperwork until the last minute thinking investigators will be too busy to spot an error don’t understand the process.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
21 June 2026
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The initial flight was delayed, causing everyone on the flight to miss their connections in Iceland.—
Josh Rivera,
USA Today,
21 June 2026
Verb
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Swirl it into a sauce à la minute, at most—heat will burst the eggs and reduce texture contrast.—
The Editors,
Robb Report,
20 June 2026
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The second half was a completely different story, bursting with action on both ends of the pitch.—
Bryan Preston,
FOXNews.com,
20 June 2026
Noun
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The country's blockade has throttled traffic through the channel, driving up fuel prices and threatening the global economy.—
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy,
USA Today,
19 June 2026
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Captain Abhijit Chopra, a seafarer currently stranded in the Gulf, believes traffic through the Strait of Hormuz will normalize by the end of July.—
Lou Robinson,
CNN Money,
19 June 2026
Verb
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Longtime stores and newer spots at destinations like The Strip District Terminal are bringing extra staff, extending hours and stocking up for busy weekends when sidewalks are shoulder-to-shoulder, and lines snake out the doors.—
Gabby Sartori,
USA Today,
19 June 2026
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In certain soaring drone shots, the Gobi’s dry, greige sprawl looks like nothing so much as the surface of another planet, at least until it’s disrupted by snaking manmade infrastructure and drab light industry.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
18 June 2026
Verb
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Cloudy and rainy conditions prevail throughout the morning, then in the afternoon the sun pokes through with calm winds.—
Kendrick Calfee
June 16,
Kansas City Star,
16 June 2026
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Cover the jar with plastic wrap and poke a few holes in the top.—
Meghan Overdeep,
Southern Living,
16 June 2026
Verb
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Granted, none of them linger long enough to make a lasting impact, either.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
16 June 2026
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His latest album, Infinite Black Inside, is a thorough exploration of the ideas—evasive rhythmic switch-ups, jazz melodies, busy textural interactions—that have often lingered in the margins of his more functional output.—
H.D. Angel,
Pitchfork,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crawl.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crawl. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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