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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of crawling
Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 11 June 2026
He was found on Thursday morning, crawling towards Base Camp, and airlifted to Kathmandu, where doctors are treating him for frostbite, severe dehydration and a fractured thigh bone.
—CBS News, 10 June 2026
Removing the lowest leaves can reduce the risk of these problems and keep some pests from crawling onto your plants.
—Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 9 June 2026
Ötzi the Iceman, Europe’s most famous mummy, is crawling with microbes, some long dead, some still eking out a living after thousands of years, and some very modern.
—ArsTechnica, 6 June 2026
The Thursday night group was seen leaving about three hours afterward, according to the NYPD, while the second odd circumstance ended after individuals were seen crawling out and leaving in a vehicle more than two and a half hours after.
—Amethyst Martinez, USA Today, 4 June 2026
The next day, with water levels having dropped inside the cave, the remaining four men caught rescuers by surprise, crawling out on their own just as divers were getting ready to go in and get them.
—Janis MacKey Frayer, NBC news, 4 June 2026
That changed on Thursday, June 4, when he was seen slowly crawling down the snowy mountainside to Base Camp by a cleaning crew, the BBC reported.
—Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 4 June 2026
Toddlers and babies spend their days at floor level, crawling through dust, putting hands and objects in their mouths, and breathing air closer to the ground than anyone else.
—Angela Haupt, Time, 3 June 2026
Verb
Wrigley Field West, aka Coors Field, was crawling with Cubs fans on Tuesday night.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 11 June 2026
He was found on Thursday morning, crawling towards Base Camp, and airlifted to Kathmandu, where doctors are treating him for frostbite, severe dehydration and a fractured thigh bone.
—CBS News, 10 June 2026
Removing the lowest leaves can reduce the risk of these problems and keep some pests from crawling onto your plants.
—Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 9 June 2026
Ötzi the Iceman, Europe’s most famous mummy, is crawling with microbes, some long dead, some still eking out a living after thousands of years, and some very modern.
—ArsTechnica, 6 June 2026
The Thursday night group was seen leaving about three hours afterward, according to the NYPD, while the second odd circumstance ended after individuals were seen crawling out and leaving in a vehicle more than two and a half hours after.
—Amethyst Martinez, USA Today, 4 June 2026
The next day, with water levels having dropped inside the cave, the remaining four men caught rescuers by surprise, crawling out on their own just as divers were getting ready to go in and get them.
—Janis MacKey Frayer, NBC news, 4 June 2026
That changed on Thursday, June 4, when he was seen slowly crawling down the snowy mountainside to Base Camp by a cleaning crew, the BBC reported.
—Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 4 June 2026
Toddlers and babies spend their days at floor level, crawling through dust, putting hands and objects in their mouths, and breathing air closer to the ground than anyone else.
—Angela Haupt, Time, 3 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crawling
Adjective
-
In 1943, Shalit headed to the University of Illinois and took a leisurely six years to earn his degree.—
Chris Koseluk,
HollywoodReporter,
12 June 2026
-
That leisurely pace would lead only to more murder, and more assassinations.—
Wesley Morris,
New York Times,
9 June 2026
Verb
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The vote comes as communities around the country debate how to handle increasingly large data centers creeping into populated areas.—
Mary Ramsey
Updated June 8,
Charlotte Observer,
9 June 2026
-
With summer finally creeping into New England, the humidity was high and the rain was occasionally intense.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
Tech had a rough Tuesday, dragging the S&P and Nasdaq lower.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
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Part of Cantoni’s job is to collect ticks from around the state through a process called dragging.—
Allison Gollenberg,
Hartford Courant,
9 June 2026
Verb
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Pulisic, the American star who is under intense pressure to perform in this tournament, set up the goal, pushing the ball between a pair of defenders before poking it on for McKennie in the center of the box.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 June 2026
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As the miles dragged on, a chase vehicle crept by periodically with cameras poking out the window to capture scenes that could later be shared on social media, where Emanuel now has an almost daily presence.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 June 2026
Verb
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Dishes use local produce but combine them with Asian ingredients for a light meal that’s bursting with flavors.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 June 2026
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But with Skydance’s reputation for quality game titles and Paramount’s vast library, there’s potential to carve out a space in a market that’s crowded to the point of bursting.—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
10 June 2026
Adjective
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Dems slow to embrace data center resistance McMillan Cottom suggested that no public officials on the right or the left have perfected their messaging to align with anti-data center sentiments.—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
12 June 2026
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Eating a donut earlier in the day is easier on your body than eating it at night when insulin sensitivity and metabolism slow.—
Brandi Jones,
Verywell Health,
12 June 2026
Verb
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Hydroplaning happens when a vehicle starts sliding uncontrollably on wet roads.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
12 June 2026
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The main event, though, is the ski room—where ski butlers furnish guests with state-of-the-art skis before sliding them onto the slicked Jardin Alpin piste with or without an instructor.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 June 2026
Verb
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Nilles reportedly learned 40 songs for the tour, so expect some setlist shuffling each date.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
8 June 2026
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Having gone into hiding, Walt ultimately manages to make some things right before shuffling off the mortal coil.—
Brianna Zigler,
Entertainment Weekly,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crawling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crawling. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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