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
Relevance
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
Emiliano Tahui Gómez, Austin American Statesman, 8 Mar. 2026
When the bus snakes towards San Siro, crawling through the fans, Tomori will feel a familiar emotion.
—James Horncastle, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
In the trailer, she can be seen crawling underneath an immigration paddy wagon, recreating one of the tactics used by Kenmure neighbors to flummox officers.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 4 Mar. 2026
Galahadosuchus represents one of the early ancestors of that lineage, and the evolutionary path from upright sprinter to belly-crawling ambush predator is a long one.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 23 Feb. 2026
But Baba’s streets were crawling with ICE proxies during his entire childhood.
—Literary Hub, 20 Feb. 2026
Another two were crawling behind a prep table.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 19 Feb. 2026
However, these were among six restaurants and one food truck in Broward and Palm Beach counties that made the emergency closure list, with issues ranging from roaches crawling around kitchens to employees not washing their hands (one after rubbing/smashing a dead roach with their fingers).
—Kari Barnett, Sun Sentinel, 19 Feb. 2026
After this, despite making millions of dollars from her series of children’s books, Fergie went crawling to Epstein for loans.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 19 Feb. 2026
Verb
Others made a break for the bathrooms, crawling or running in a hunched position.
—Emiliano Tahui Gómez, Austin American Statesman, 8 Mar. 2026
When the bus snakes towards San Siro, crawling through the fans, Tomori will feel a familiar emotion.
—James Horncastle, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
In the trailer, she can be seen crawling underneath an immigration paddy wagon, recreating one of the tactics used by Kenmure neighbors to flummox officers.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 4 Mar. 2026
Galahadosuchus represents one of the early ancestors of that lineage, and the evolutionary path from upright sprinter to belly-crawling ambush predator is a long one.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 23 Feb. 2026
But Baba’s streets were crawling with ICE proxies during his entire childhood.
—Literary Hub, 20 Feb. 2026
Another two were crawling behind a prep table.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 19 Feb. 2026
However, these were among six restaurants and one food truck in Broward and Palm Beach counties that made the emergency closure list, with issues ranging from roaches crawling around kitchens to employees not washing their hands (one after rubbing/smashing a dead roach with their fingers).
—Kari Barnett, Sun Sentinel, 19 Feb. 2026
After this, despite making millions of dollars from her series of children’s books, Fergie went crawling to Epstein for loans.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 19 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crawling
Adjective
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With that much space, visitors and locals alike have plenty of room for water sports, leisurely beach days, and sightseeing.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Mar. 2026
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What to see today Visitors have their choice of hiking to the top of Natural Bridge or taking a leisurely ride on a sky lift over the trees and to the top.—
Maggie Menderski,
Louisville Courier Journal,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Joseph also responded to worries about facial recognition and other surveillance technologies creeping into the system by emphasizing the cameras used in San Jose only record vehicles’ license plates.—
Robert Salonga,
Mercury News,
10 Mar. 2026
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Many perennial weeds produce deep tap roots or creeping rhizomes.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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His legs felt like anchors dragging across the court.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
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The war dragging on could also see markets whip back and oil costs continue to soar, especially as the Strait of Hormuz, which carries roughly 20% of the world's oil remains largely impassible.—
Garrett Downs,
CNBC,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Weeks later, the congresswoman could still the fractured bones in his forearm poking up under the skin.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Mar. 2026
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The prosecutor said Tran tried to take his own life by slitting a wrist, cutting his neck and poking a blade into his stomach.—
Sean Emery,
Oc Register,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The development sits on nearly two acres right in the buzzy Miami Design District, giving guests and residents alike direct access to an area that’s bursting with museums, restaurants, beaches, and more.—
Nicole Hoey,
Robb Report,
10 Mar. 2026
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Listen to the live music while perusing booths bursting with fruits, veggies, flowers, fresh grass-fed lamb, eggs, and more.—
Jennifer Stewart Kornegay,
Southern Living,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Council members LaWana Slack-Mayfield, Malcolm Graham and Joi Mayo, whose west Charlotte District 3 contains most of the affected part of I-77, pressed the agency on its slow responses to their questions, asked in November, shortly after NCDOT released its maps for the first time.—
Nick Sullivan,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Mar. 2026
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The jokes and musical bits are amusing but not groundbreaking, and the story is too light and slow to have a real impact.—
Rachel Simon,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Just as the program appeared to be sliding, however, Hurley engineered a turnaround in 2022-23.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
12 Mar. 2026
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Hydroplaning is when a vehicle starts uncontrollably sliding on wet roads.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Green Bay Packers are doing some shuffling at cornerback by adding Benjamin St-Juste while informing Nate Hobbs of a plan to release him a year after signing him to the $48 million, four-year contract, according to two people with knowledge of the decisions.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 Mar. 2026
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One of the early schools to change leagues in the NCAA's conference shuffling era, Boston College left the Big East for the ACC in 2005 but has struggled to find success in its revenue sports.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crawling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crawling. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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