crawl 1 of 2

verb

ˈkrȯl How to pronounce crawl (audio)
Definition of crawlnext
1
as in to creep
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 & Similar Words

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2
as in to drag
to move slowly the weekend traffic on the road to the beach just crawled

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to delay
to move or act slowly the deadline is fast approaching, so this is no time to crawl

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to burst
to be copiously supplied something must be up, as city hall is crawling with reporters

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

crawl

2 of 2

noun

as in delay

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of crawl
Verb
Fort Hood, Texas, one of the Army's largest bases, has closed one of its dining facilities after a video circulating on X appeared to show dozens of roaches crawling across the walls of the facility's kitchen. — Steven Beynon, ABC News, 23 July 2026 Flash flood warnings were then issued again for New York City and nearby states as thunderstorms crawled across the region on Tuesday afternoon and evening. — Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 23 July 2026
Noun
Colorful flowers tower over guests, butterflies are as big as birds and snails and bumblebees crawl and buzz along the walls. — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 16 June 2026 Congress let airport security check lines grind to a crawl for weeks. — Sen. Rand Paul Outkick, FOXNews.com, 12 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for crawl
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crawl
  1. creep
  2. drag
  3. delay
  4. burst
  5. traffic
  6. snake
  7. poke
  8. linger
Verb
  • Eventually, a car or a minivan will creep down the narrow dirt road, ready to collect migrants who have paid at least $1,000 for GPS coordinates and guidance on how to get across.
    — Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 29 July 2026
  • Many of the dummies evolved admirably over the competition’s final hour, complete with fine laugh lines and subtle details like creeping wisps of nose hair, which were gingerly applied with tweezers and Krazy Glue.
    — John Semley, Harpers Magazine, 28 July 2026
Definition of creep
Verb
  • Oil prices got back to jumping on Wednesday, while sinking technology stocks dragged Wall Street lower amid uncertainty about what the Federal Reserve will do to get high inflation under control.
    — Stan Choe, Fortune, 29 July 2026
  • Iran war could drag on for months The US-Iran war will likely drag on for months, analysts predicted, as new strikes disrupted a tenuous pause and the conflict widened.
    — Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 29 July 2026
Definition of drag
Verb
  • Evander scored a go-ahead goal from distance in the 82nd minute and Cincinnati beat the San Jose Earthquakes 4-2 on Saturday night in a game delayed over two hours due to weather.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026
  • The airport says arrivals to Denver are also delayed an average of 15 minutes and increasing due to the weather.
    — Christa Swanson, CBS News, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of delay
Verb
  • His emotions — and that sticky goo in his wrists — are about to burst.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026
  • Along the narrow hallway, bookshelves burst with first editions of John Updike, battered Stephen Kings, graphic novels, dime-store paperbacks, board games, books about mythology, children’s fairy tales, and Warhammer rule sets.
    — Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 29 July 2026
Definition of burst
Noun
  • The agency estimated that, with or without toll lanes, I-77 would see a 25% increase in traffic by 2050, meaning the roadway will see over 200,000 cars a day.
    — DJ Simmons August 1, Charlotte Observer, 1 Aug. 2026
  • As officers worked to disperse traffic, prosecutors allege Stacer sprayed the officers' vehicle with a fire extinguisher.
    — Joseph Buczek, CBS News, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of traffic
Verb
  • Here, too, there were echoes of Keegan’s blissful early days, when queues snaked outside the stadium hours before kick-off and every victory felt like alchemy.
    — George Caulkin, New York Times, 30 July 2026
  • The new district snakes up through Kansas City’s urban core, in an attempt to create a district more favorable for Republicans in the 5th District.
    — Jack Harvel July 28, Kansas City Star, 28 July 2026
Definition of snake
Verb
  • The family dog, named by local media as Rocky, was found alive after one of the rescuers spotted his tail poking out of the rubble.
    — Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 30 July 2026
  • While viral videos poke fun, territorial scrums over scarce Costco spots can turn ugly, and sometimes violent.
    — Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 30 July 2026
Definition of poke
Verb
  • Starting in Arraez’s place was Basabe, who has spent more time with the club than originally anticipated due to Matt Chapman’s lingering abdominal strain.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Skubal’s arrival answers whatever lingering questions there were about the Dodgers’ quest for a third straight title, as well as ones yet to pop up.
    — Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of linger

Phrases Containing crawl

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craving
crawl
crawled
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Cite this Entry

“Crawl.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crawl. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on crawl

Nglish: Translation of crawl for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about crawl

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