1
as in crept
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 dragged
to move slowly
the weekend traffic on the road to the beach just crawled
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in lingered
to move or act slowly
the deadline is fast approaching, so this is no time to crawl
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of crawled
The animal had crawled into a drain pipe during a cold snap and could not turn around to escape.
—
Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 4 Mar. 2026
As seen on video from the scene, traffic crawled along the expressway as smoke billowed from the cars and firefighters worked to extinguish the fire.
—Asal Rezaei, CBS News, 4 Mar. 2026
Morello, an underground East Contra Costa rapper who went by the stage name $mooth, crawled into the home after being shot but succumbed to his injuries on the kitchen floor.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 1 Mar. 2026
Three roaches crawled on the floor elsewhere.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2026
In some cases, these restaurants crawled — for decades — so that Charlotte’s food scene could walk.
—Charlotte Observer, 24 Feb. 2026
After two hours in their second pass, a large object crawled across the screen of Ehorn's Klein side-scan sonar.
—Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 16 Feb. 2026
Maybe the girl had crawled under a neighbor's trailer while playing hide-and-seek.
—Kristine Phillips, IndyStar, 5 Feb. 2026
Mergers have crawled since 2021 and were finally expected to rebound last year.
—Luisa Beltran, Sportico.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 4 Mar. 2026
As seen on video from the scene, traffic crawled along the expressway as smoke billowed from the cars and firefighters worked to extinguish the fire.
—Asal Rezaei, CBS News, 4 Mar. 2026
Morello, an underground East Contra Costa rapper who went by the stage name $mooth, crawled into the home after being shot but succumbed to his injuries on the kitchen floor.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 1 Mar. 2026
Three roaches crawled on the floor elsewhere.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2026
In some cases, these restaurants crawled — for decades — so that Charlotte’s food scene could walk.
—Charlotte Observer, 24 Feb. 2026
After two hours in their second pass, a large object crawled across the screen of Ehorn's Klein side-scan sonar.
—Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 16 Feb. 2026
Maybe the girl had crawled under a neighbor's trailer while playing hide-and-seek.
—Kristine Phillips, IndyStar, 5 Feb. 2026
Mergers have crawled since 2021 and were finally expected to rebound last year.
—Luisa Beltran, Sportico.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crawled
Verb
-
But as application deadlines loomed, doubt crept in.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
2 Mar. 2026
-
This book by Jessamine Chan crept its way into my marrow and refused to get out.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Instead, much of Iraq rose up to expel US ground forces, and the war dragged on for eight years.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
-
The snake had dragged him roughly 30 feet from where their wrestling match began.—
Dac Collins,
Outdoor Life,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The bouncy seventh-year center suffered a severe right ankle sprain on the first day of training camp and the pain has lingered for five months, limiting his mobility and effectiveness on both ends of the floor.—
Mike Curtis,
Dallas Morning News,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Simons fractured his wrist in training camp with the Boston Celtics, an injury that lingered after briefly sidelining him at the start of the season.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Sacramento’s Railyards District buzzed with activity in recent weeks.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Texts from friends buzzed his phone.—
Julia Coin,
Charlotte Observer,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
With just over a minute to play in the period, Shaugabay slid a perfect pass from the right-side corner across the crease where Andersen tapped it home to hand Warroad its first multi-goal advantage.—
Andrew Cornelius,
Twin Cities,
7 Mar. 2026
-
The mouthpiece landed in front of a fan sitting courtside and slid toward the foot of Mavericks assistant coach Jay Triano.—
Mike Curtis,
Dallas Morning News,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
What supports will schools offer to students who are emotionally impacted by this sudden disruption, especially those who have already been shuffled around multiple times?—
Randy Ribay,
Mercury News,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Drained from work, Irvi shuffled down the stairs in sweatpants.—
Caitlin Dickerson,
The Atlantic,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Chicago O’Hare issued a ground stop on Tuesday night due to thunderstorms, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, with flight departures delayed an average of 15 minutes and increasing.—
Madeline King,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
-
The probe was delayed from 2022, and headed for the asteroid Psyche, using a Mars-gravity assist and not arriving until August 2029.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Picturesque wind instruments suddenly burst forth as if a flock of birds were flying over the pyramids.—
Classical Music Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Wembanyama burst around it, received a pass and threw down a dunk.—
Fred Katz,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crawled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crawled. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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