as in leisurely
moving or proceeding at less than the normal, desirable, or required speed
the crawling pace of the narrative is really frustrating
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in creeping
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
2
as in dragging
to move slowly
the weekend traffic on the road to the beach just crawled
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in poking
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 crawling
Michelle Castillo, CNBC, 19 May 2026
Sacramento County health inspectors closed four restaurants this week, including Carmichael’s Royal Cuisine, where a live nymph cockroach was found crawling on the salt and pepper shakers.
—Sacbee.com, 16 May 2026
Clarke recalled crawling to the bathroom and vomiting from the pain before realizing something was seriously wrong.
—Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 15 May 2026
Surveillance video from one convenience store that was burglarized shows a man in a hoodie crawling in through a hole in the bottom of the front door, climbing over the front counter and opening the cash register.
—CBS News, 14 May 2026
For more serious cavers who are at least 16 years old, this summer-only, four-hour tour requires crawling, climbing, and contorting.
—Robert Annis, Midwest Living, 14 May 2026
No one enjoys finding moths fluttering around the flour or tiny caterpillars crawling in the cereal.
—Lauren Wicks, Southern Living, 13 May 2026
Staff started out by wearing bear masks and animal furs, then crawling into the enclosure to spoon-feed the cubs formula.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
She was all set to come crawling back to Brandon!
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 11 May 2026
Verb
Amazon won a court order to block the AI-agents from crawling its sites in March.
—Michelle Castillo, CNBC, 19 May 2026
Sacramento County health inspectors closed four restaurants this week, including Carmichael’s Royal Cuisine, where a live nymph cockroach was found crawling on the salt and pepper shakers.
—Sacbee.com, 16 May 2026
Clarke recalled crawling to the bathroom and vomiting from the pain before realizing something was seriously wrong.
—Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 15 May 2026
Surveillance video from one convenience store that was burglarized shows a man in a hoodie crawling in through a hole in the bottom of the front door, climbing over the front counter and opening the cash register.
—CBS News, 14 May 2026
For more serious cavers who are at least 16 years old, this summer-only, four-hour tour requires crawling, climbing, and contorting.
—Robert Annis, Midwest Living, 14 May 2026
No one enjoys finding moths fluttering around the flour or tiny caterpillars crawling in the cereal.
—Lauren Wicks, Southern Living, 13 May 2026
Staff started out by wearing bear masks and animal furs, then crawling into the enclosure to spoon-feed the cubs formula.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
She was all set to come crawling back to Brandon!
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 11 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crawling
Adjective
-
The painting shows a lush, verdant Italian landscape, whose richness allows even peasants to enjoy leisurely strolls along its paths.—
Tyler Green,
The Atlantic,
21 May 2026
-
For a leisurely day around town, style the pants with a casual ’90s-style tank top and comfortable sandals (or sneakers, if biking in open-toe shoes feels too ambitious).—
Kelsey Stewart,
Glamour,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
Inflation rates are creeping above average wage increases, and could stay there until the situation in Iran is resolved.—
Megan Poinski,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
-
For people with creeping cholesterol levels, a healthier diet can go a long way.—
Gavin Escott,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
The uncanny vision is made even eerier when Hoop spots her late mother dragging her five children through the human tide.—
Philip Sherburne,
Pitchfork,
19 May 2026
-
The complaint states that Sorsby only has until June 22 to make a decision regarding the NFL Supplemental Draft, and the NCAA is dragging its feet in this process.—
Trey Wallace OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
In partnership with Underdog, a popular daily fantasy sports (DFS) and pick'em betting platform, Brooks revealed a one-of-a-kind board game poking fun at SGA.—
Jon Root OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
22 May 2026
-
Plenty of skilled directors can manipulate tension and fear while still poking us toward nervous laughter.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
In fact, there were a lot of pretty curiosities to ogle at, bursting with color and fun costume-party energy (note the many party hats).—
Ari Stark,
Footwear News,
19 May 2026
-
Poking holes in potatoes helps steam escape but is rarely necessary to prevent bursting.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
19 May 2026
Adjective
-
Scratching high on the bridge, Werner’s splintering fiddle calls to mind the slow, magical hatching of an egg.—
Lily Goldberg,
Pitchfork,
22 May 2026
-
The better play is slower and pays back forever.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
Whitlock was able to recover and make a sliding catch to end the inning, but Wong did not return and was subbed out for Carlos Narvaez to catch the ninth.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
14 May 2026
-
That led to bulkier versions that helped guard against limbs sliding between the cushion and tubes, ending with a final iteration that, much to Axelsson’s pride, some colleagues didn’t realize was filled with air until its inventor asked them to stand up and hoist it above their heads.—
Jack Bantock,
CNN Money,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
This meant slowly shuffling into the wilderness.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 May 2026
-
At 2-0 down, and with Nuno Espirito Santo shuffling to a back-four, there was a flicker of a pulse and two decent saves from Nick Pope.—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crawling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crawling. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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