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
And now, thanks to the advent of AI agents, which can independently crawl through your social media and email accounts, even more people are becoming obsessed. — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 14 Oct. 2026 The other new release is a dungeon-crawling RPG called Gloom Gate. — Andrew Webster, The Verge, 9 Oct. 2026
Noun
The park on the first block would feature various terraces, a boulder crawl, a plaza area, a picnic area, a nature play area, swings and other features. — Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 2 Sep. 2026 In May, Trooper Teddy Henderson rammed a vehicle off Arkansas 118 in Mississippi County and was surprised to see a 3-year-old toddler crawl out of the wreckage, unharmed. — Grant Lancaster, Arkansas Online, 7 Aug. 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
  • By spring, with the opportunity fading for a mass relocation of homes and businesses, optimism crept back into public discourse.
    — Abe Streep, ProPublica, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Port-au-Prince, Haiti — Trees wrap around buildings, roots sprout from riverbeds of plastic trash, and vines creep down the street.
    — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of creep
Verb
  • Season 2 picks up from where things left off, with Michael and Diana having barely arrived in Spain when they are dragged back into the fold to answer questions around Ricardo’s death.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s spokesman denied Britain was being dragged in to the conflict.
    — Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of drag
Verb
  • More than 350 flights were canceled or delayed at Moscow airports, local media reported, as planes were grounded in response to incoming drones.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Green denied that characterization and declined to elaborate on the challenges that delayed the delivery beyond the missing money.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of delay
Verb
  • When that bubble burst in the Panic of 1893, a third of railroads went bust, more than 500 banks failed, and the economy plunged into a four-year depression.
    — Ming Lu, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
  • When a bank of televisions showed horses bursting through the starting gate, feet stomped on the club’s carpet.
    — Abe Streep, ProPublica, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of burst
Noun
  • The project will eliminate some parking along Van Nuys Boulevard and construction will affect traffic in the area.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The officer reported looking west and at one point and seeing traffic officers with their emergency lights activated and beyond them, runners directly in Wade’s path, according to court documents.
    — Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of traffic
Verb
  • Longtime collaborator Erik Blood foregrounds Butler’s dry drum machines in the mix, letting every other element shuffle around them, snaking toward the spotlight for a brief moment and retreating back into the brume.
    — Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Arthur Russell — Hall’s primary musical collaborator and the artist most associated with his own work — lived on the top floor, a cord of bootleg electricity snaking up from Ginsberg’s window to his apartment.
    — Jack Denton, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of snake
Verb
  • Ask it to poke holes and give you the strongest case against something.
    — Amy O’Brien, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Kessler, standing nearby during Williams’ postgame news conference, poked his head out from behind a black curtain and gave his teammate a thumbs-up.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of poke
Verb
  • Christmas decorations linger into summer, and grasses grow high through rusting cars.
    — Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The orchard and cidery serves pizzas and pastas alongside hot or cold cider, and hosts live music as folks linger along the outdoor tables with drinks and games.
    — Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Oct. 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 25 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on crawl

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about crawl

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