Entry Word: crawl

Function: verb

Meaning: 1 to move slowly with the body close to the ground <the time we had to crawl through a narrow passageway from one cave to another>

Synonyms creep, grovel, slither, snake, worm, wriggle

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

2 to move slowly <the weekend traffic on the road to the beach just crawled>

Synonyms creep, drag, inch, plod, poke

Related Words lumber, shamble, shuffle, tramp, trudge

Near Antonyms float, glide, sail; hurry, tear

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

3 to move or act slowly <the deadline is fast approaching, so this is no time to crawl> — see delay 1