Synonyms of crawled

crawled

verb

past tense of crawl

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

• crept
• slid
• snaked
• slithered
• tiptoed
• wriggled
• crouched
• sneaked
• squatted
• wormed
• groveled
• bellied
• inched
• stole
• edged
• nosed
• skulked

2

as in dragged

to move slowly

the weekend traffic on the road to the beach just crawled

Synonyms & Similar Words

• dragged
• crept
• shuffled
• poked
• slouched
• inched
• limped
• oozed
• creaked (along)
• plodded
• nosed
• snailed
• trudged
• shambled
• tramped
• lumbered

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• flew
• raced
• sped
• sailed
• floated
• hurried
• whizzed
• zipped
• tore
• glided

3

as in lingered

to move or act slowly

the deadline is fast approaching, so this is no time to crawl

Synonyms & Similar Words

• dragged
• lingered
• delayed
• poked
• strolled
• crept
• shuffled
• loitered
• played
• lagged
• dawdled
• fell behind
• stalled
• dropped behind
• diddled
• moped
• lollygagged
• hung fire
• lounged
• staggered
• marked time
• tarried
• sauntered
• dallied
• dragged one's feet
• idled
• dillydallied
• took one's time
• ambled
• inched
• shilly-shallied
• loafed
• trifled
• puttered (around)
• fiddled (around)
• lolled
• pottered (around)
• plodded
• decelerated
• fooled around
• eased
• hung (around or out)
• lumbered
• messed around
• slowed (down or up)
• monkeyed (around)
• temporized
• procrastinated
• filibustered

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• flew
• sped
• rushed
• scurried
• ran
• hurried
• raced
• ripped
• scooted
• bolted
• hastened
• tore
• whirled
• dashed
• whizzed
• zipped
• whisked
• scrambled
• rocketed
• darted
• scudded
• coursed
• barreled
• hustled
• hurtled
• humped
• ran
• stampeded
• trotted
• bowled
• breezed
• sprinted
• galloped
• jogged
• careered
• accelerated
• quickened
• hotfooted (it)
• sped (up)
• overtook
• caught up
• outpaced
• outstripped
• outran
• fast-forwarded

4

as in buzzed

to be copiously supplied

something must be up, as city hall is crawling with reporters

Synonyms & Similar Words

• buzzed
• burst
• hummed
• bulged
• swarmed
• brimmed
• abounded
• teemed
• bustled
• overflowed
• bristled
• pullulated

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• needed
• wanted
• lacked

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of crawled

Traffic crawled at a creep along Independence Boulevard in those days. — Dj Simmons, Charlotte Observer, 15 Aug. 2026

Seven hid under a kitchen chest freezer while five crawled on the wall next to the three-compartment sink. — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 14 Aug. 2026

And imagine the bear, cornered in an unfamiliar lair, seeing the light of the only exit blocked by this larger attacker that did not howl or bark, but crawled silently toward him through the addled dogs. — Paul Schullery, Outdoor Life, 13 Aug. 2026

Primus crawled from the same California soup that gave birth to a host of funk-metal acts in the 1980s, following Fishbone, Faith No More, and, most infamously, the Red Hot Chili Peppers. — Sasha Geffen, Pitchfork, 2 Aug. 2026

Mysterio went for the Three Amigos, but Danhausen blocked the last attempt and crawled to the corner. — Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026

Figures depicting the Pink Panther, Spider Man and the Minions have perched or crawled atop the Dome. — Mandalit Del Barco, NPR, 31 July 2026

One of Thursday’s stations included the ‘Confidence Course,’ where campers crawled through tight spaces and wooden obstacles in their heavy gear. — Julianna Mejia july 31, Kansas City Star, 31 July 2026

Communities across Minnesota saw impressive rainfall totals on Friday as wet weather crawled across the state. — Anthony Bettin, CBS News, 31 July 2026