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
Sarah Min, CNBC, 22 Apr. 2026
Sick of crawling through rush-hour traffic along Interstate 84 in Meridian?
—Rose Evans
april 20, Idaho Statesman, 20 Apr. 2026
Their boneless design also enables unique movement — from crawling along the ocean floor to jetting through water by expelling it rapidly from their bodies.
—Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Apr. 2026
The roaches crawling in a drawer with clean utensils and rodent poop on a counter didn’t help.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2026
Those videos, all in the exact same location, showed what appeared to be a bear getting into the cars and crawling around.
—Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026
There were cardboard boxes strewn around the entirety of the house, and Ellie and Oscar were crawling in and out of them, playing hide-and-seek.
—Literary Hub, 15 Apr. 2026
The tense battle culminates in the Beliskner being destroyed, in turn killing all the Replicators, except for one, which is seen crawling out of the ocean, setting up future battles with this duplicating menace.
—Daryl Baxter, Space.com, 14 Apr. 2026
Some may require climbing stairs and gathering real-time data, while others may require crawling through rubble and opening latches.
—New Atlas, 13 Apr. 2026
Verb
Adobe could be crawling its way out of the software stock abyss, after a buyback and an endorsement from Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang revived confidence in the digital media provider.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 22 Apr. 2026
Sick of crawling through rush-hour traffic along Interstate 84 in Meridian?
—Rose Evans
april 20, Idaho Statesman, 20 Apr. 2026
Their boneless design also enables unique movement — from crawling along the ocean floor to jetting through water by expelling it rapidly from their bodies.
—Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Apr. 2026
The roaches crawling in a drawer with clean utensils and rodent poop on a counter didn’t help.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2026
Those videos, all in the exact same location, showed what appeared to be a bear getting into the cars and crawling around.
—Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026
There were cardboard boxes strewn around the entirety of the house, and Ellie and Oscar were crawling in and out of them, playing hide-and-seek.
—Literary Hub, 15 Apr. 2026
The tense battle culminates in the Beliskner being destroyed, in turn killing all the Replicators, except for one, which is seen crawling out of the ocean, setting up future battles with this duplicating menace.
—Daryl Baxter, Space.com, 14 Apr. 2026
Some may require climbing stairs and gathering real-time data, while others may require crawling through rubble and opening latches.
—New Atlas, 13 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crawling
Adjective
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Director Gay has sculpted a staging that is faithful to a more leisurely 19th-century storytelling style, yet satisfies modern audiences’ constant craving for stimulation.—
Rob Hubbard,
Twin Cities,
24 Apr. 2026
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Evenings brought cocktail hours, nightly presentations about the next day’s destination, and leisurely dinners, followed by time in the lounge.—
Susan B. Barnes,
Travel + Leisure,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Trailing plants like Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia) and common periwinkle (Vinca minor) spill over the edges of the pot, while creeping thyme (Thymus serpyllum) and bugleweed (Ajuga reptans) cover the surface with dense mats.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Clean your garden tools after working with creeping Charlie to prevent spread, Funk adds.—
Lauren David,
Martha Stewart,
18 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In a four-game span, the Philadelphia 76ers star received a technical foul for shoving Donte DiVincenzo, and flagrant fouls for dragging Mitchell Robinson to the floor and swiping Brunson in the head.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
21 Apr. 2026
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Throughout Orbán’s re-election campaign, the media controlled by his governing Fidesz party depicted Magyar as a reckless enemy of peace, bent on dragging Hungary into the war in neighboring Ukraine.—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Martha Stewart, however—perhaps the least likely superstar to do so—is poking holes in that fantasy, giving us an iconic new selfie that feels wildly relatable to anyone familiar with the mayhem of getting ready.—
Marci Robin,
Allure,
24 Apr. 2026
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Paul, who co-created the Apple TV+ series and drew from season one for the musical’s script and score, performs a dexterous trick, poking fun at the form’s many ridiculous tropes with an unmistakably affectionate hand.—
Naveen Kumar,
Variety,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The results were colorful, bursting with shapes and patterns, but often totally bizarre.—
Gabe Montesanti,
PEOPLE,
19 Apr. 2026
-
This strawberry-lemonade gelatin is bursting with berry flavor.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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He is limited on passing downs and is more of a slow-burn pocket pusher than a man with a plan.—
Tobias Bass,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
In some cases, lenders may cover the costs of buydown for you (either partially or in full), if the market is particularly slow.—
Aly J Yale,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Things got just a bit chippy in the top of the sixth when Webb fired a four-seam fastball into the ribs of Dalton Rushing, who many speculated had made a disparaging comment at Jung Hoo Lee during Tuesday’s game when the Giants outfielder was hurt sliding home.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
23 Apr. 2026
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Floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors open from the bedroom onto a private deck for morning yoga or simply lounging on rocking chairs, and from the living area to a smaller one to enjoy your evening tea on.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Of course, no rotation shuffling is imminent with Rodón expected to make at least three rehab starts and Cole moving at a slower pace following Tommy John surgery.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
22 Apr. 2026
-
The famed Rendezvous Ballroom dance floor was so packed, couples would have to do their moves in a close embrace, posture upright while doing short half steps, swiftly shuffling their feet as the partners stepped out and in, over and over, in a rhythmic swing.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
19 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crawling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crawling. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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