slither

slith·er | \ ˈsli-t͟hər

How to pronounce slither (audio)

\

slithered; slithering; slithers

Definition of slither

intransitive verb

1 : to slide on or as if on a loose gravelly surface

2 : to slip or slide like a snake

transitive verb

: to cause to slide

Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about slither

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Examples of slither in a Sentence

The snake slithered through the garden. To get under the porch, I lay on my stomach and slithered like a snake. She slithered quietly into the room. He slithered his hand around her waist.

Recent Examples on the Web As was also evident by the fact that the serpent daemon was able to slither outside into the garden with Pan while Martin held a conversation with Lyra in his home, Martin, too, has the ability to separate from his daemon. — Nick Romano, EW.com, "How Serpentine sets the stage for Philip Pullman's Book of Dust trilogy," 15 Oct. 2020 No decent father would allow a snake to slither into his children’s bed, Lincoln said. — Adam Rowe, WSJ, "‘The Zealot and the Emancipator’ Review: A Deadly Confrontation," 4 Oct. 2020 Now and again the trucks get hung up and slither sideways toward each other. — Rich Ceppos, Car and Driver, "Tested: 1979 Chevrolet LUV vs. 1979 Toyota 4wd," 26 Aug. 2020 Solomon Thomas used his quickness Saturday to slither past G Laken Tomlinson during a one-on-one pass-rush drill for an easy would-be sack. — Eric Branch, SFChronicle.com, "49ers’ practice report: Solomon Thomas eager for inside job," 22 Aug. 2020 Water snakes like to slither onto trees and rest on branches that hang over the water. — Brigit Katz, Smithsonian Magazine, "A ‘Quivering Mass’ of Mating Snakes Took Over a Florida Lake on Valentine’s Day," 20 Feb. 2020 They're made up of coarse grains that slither across the Martian surface, Science reports. — Jennifer Leman, Popular Mechanics, "Megaripples Are Moving on Mars," 24 July 2020 The thing that slithered into our world was the size of a horse, but lower, longer, and leaner. — David Canfield, EW.com, "Jim Butcher offers a sneak peek of upcoming novel Peace Talks," 16 Jan. 2020 The land is also where Dieu Lan crawls on her belly with five children following her, slithering through the yard of her elegant ancestral home to escape the neighbors who have become her persecutors during the land reform. — Gaiutra Bahadur, New York Times, "A Stirring Family Saga Tells a Taboo History of Vietnam," 17 Mar. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'slither.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Learn More about slither

Dictionary Entries near slither

slit one's wrists

Statistics for slither

Last Updated

20 Oct 2020

Cite this Entry

“Slither.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slither. Accessed 22 Oct. 2020.

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