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
Relevance
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
Street sweepers and garbage trucks crawled through roads fans had packed hours earlier.
—
C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 18 June 2026
Last December, a rat appeared from the overhead bins and crawled behind a curtain in the cabin while a flight was en route from Amsterdam to Aruba, according to previous reporting from USA TODAY.
—Drew Pittock, USA Today, 17 June 2026
All good things have to come to an end, but his win streak was snapped in even more disappointing fashion when his car crawled to a halt with just five laps to go on Sunday.
—Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 14 June 2026
When doctors smothered it in ointment, about 45 larvae crawled out.
—Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 9 June 2026
He was buried alive on a construction site and then poisoned by a venomous rattlesnake that crawled into his coffin and attacked him.
—Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
The truck driver crawled to the side of the road and the gunman fled.
—Kristi Miller, Twin Cities, 26 May 2026
But Inglis kept losing partners to Punjab fast bowler Marco Jansen (2-33) and leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal (2-25) and Lucknow crawled to 196.
—ABC News, 23 May 2026
The children, a 10-year-old and two 14-year-olds who struggle with sensory issues, crawled through the back door and under the deck and waited until police came to escort them away.
—Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 20 May 2026
C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 18 June 2026
Last December, a rat appeared from the overhead bins and crawled behind a curtain in the cabin while a flight was en route from Amsterdam to Aruba, according to previous reporting from USA TODAY.
—Drew Pittock, USA Today, 17 June 2026
All good things have to come to an end, but his win streak was snapped in even more disappointing fashion when his car crawled to a halt with just five laps to go on Sunday.
—Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 14 June 2026
When doctors smothered it in ointment, about 45 larvae crawled out.
—Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 9 June 2026
He was buried alive on a construction site and then poisoned by a venomous rattlesnake that crawled into his coffin and attacked him.
—Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
The truck driver crawled to the side of the road and the gunman fled.
—Kristi Miller, Twin Cities, 26 May 2026
But Inglis kept losing partners to Punjab fast bowler Marco Jansen (2-33) and leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal (2-25) and Lucknow crawled to 196.
—ABC News, 23 May 2026
The children, a 10-year-old and two 14-year-olds who struggle with sensory issues, crawled through the back door and under the deck and waited until police came to escort them away.
—Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 20 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crawled
Verb
-
Separately, Miami-Dade received another $7 million in federal dollars just for World Cup transportation costs — an expense that has crept higher in the two years since the Host Committee originally floated the $46 million subsidy package for Miami-Dade to cover World Cup security and logistics.—
Douglas Hanks
June 17,
Miami Herald,
17 June 2026
-
Flames crept across a Rio Linda meadow Tuesday as firefighters from three agencies intentionally set fire to 35 acres of dry grass — not to battle a wildfire, but to prevent one.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
In that second leadership election, he was roundly defeated by Jeremy Corbyn, a veteran socialist whose victory dragged the party leftwards.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
20 June 2026
-
As the Bucks dragged their feet on the Antetokounmpo situation, a number of other teams gave up on the season entirely.—
Bryan Toporek,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
Verb
-
When a father in an England jersey led his young sons toward the concourse, one lingered behind long enough to see Croatia’s Martin Baturina score in the 36th minute, after which the youngster registered his disgust.—
Jim Barnes,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
17 June 2026
-
That faded almost immediately, though the headache lingered half the day.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
The stands of the soccer stadium buzzed with anticipation.—
Ryan Lenora Brown,
NPR,
14 June 2026
-
All 10, minus goalkeeper Matt Freese, buzzed around SoFi Stadium’s temporary grass.—
Henry Bushnell,
New York Times,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
Call slid across the plate as the throw from Orioles right fielder Tyler O’Neill took for a long hop to catcher Samuel Basallo.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2026
-
Cannabis tax revenue there surged until 2021, peaked at $396 million, then slid to about $221 million in 2025, highlighting that cannabis tax revenue doesn’t just keep climbing forever.—
Dario Sabaghi,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2026
Verb
-
After about 10 minutes of sitting frozen in place, the seven-year-old shuffled out of the room with his mother, sister and grandmother.—
Grant Stringer,
Mercury News,
18 June 2026
-
The outsize failings of the men in power demand a grand reimagining of the consequences of those failings, and Helen of Nowhere offers up, exhilaratingly and naughtily, a myth for the man who needs to be shuffled offstage one way or another.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
That money was delayed in getting to Foxborough amid a congressional funding freeze.—
Chad Graff,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
-
The team’s charter flight from Mexico to Miami Sunday night was delayed a few hours due to missing documentation.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
Swirl it into a sauce à la minute, at most—heat will burst the eggs and reduce texture contrast.—
The Editors,
Robb Report,
20 June 2026
-
The second half was a completely different story, bursting with action on both ends of the pitch.—
Bryan Preston,
FOXNews.com,
20 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crawled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crawled. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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