slither

verb

slith·​er ˈsli-t͟hər How to pronounce slither (audio)
slithered; slithering; slithers

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

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 Despite being nested within the same branch of the tree of life, legless, lengthy, and slithering snakes–capable of unhinging their jaws and delivering a venomous bite–stand out from their reptilian clade-mates. Popular Science, 22 Feb. 2024 Soon after, Butler hit a three, pushing the lead to eight and then slithered for another layup. Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 8 Feb. 2024 Just two years earlier, the Diamondbacks slithered to a woeful 57-102 record. Chuck Murr, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 Some nondescript man slithered toward them, trying to trick them into his car. Addie Citchens, The New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2024 After the interview was published, Swift fans rushed to Kardashian’s social media pages, leaving their own trails of snake emojis to slither through the comments sections. Malia Mendez, Los Angeles Times, 9 Dec. 2023 Butler was genuinely terrified of the snake, and the way the camera captured the animal slithering down the basement steps invokes dread and terror in the viewer as well. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 10 Sep. 2023 No stranger to getting inked, Fox has amassed over 20 tattoos in her lifetime, from her dainty celestial finger markings to the slithering serpent (done by artists Jesse Krydick and Syd Smith) covering her old dedication to ex-husband Brian Austin Green. Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 6 Feb. 2024 There are certain images that slither past good taste and politics and sink their teeth straight into the subconscious. Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'slither.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English slideren, from Old English slidrian, frequentative of slīdan to slide

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of slither was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near slither

Cite this Entry

“Slither.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slither. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

slither

verb
slith·​er ˈslit͟h-ər How to pronounce slither (audio)
1
: to slide or cause to slide on or as if on a loose gravelly surface
2
: to slip or slide like a snake

More from Merriam-Webster on slither

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