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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of crawling
Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
Amazon has already taken steps in recent months to prevent external AI agents from crawling its website, including those developed by OpenAI, Google and Meta.
—Ashley Capoot,annie Palmer, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2025
Creatures crawling out of gunk, their legs extending, their toe-webs rescinding, amoebic eyes getting harder.
—Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025
There are many options when looking for gifts for 7-year-olds, but some of my favorites include the viral wall-crawling gecko, the classic Bop It, and a scary-cool blind-box doll set.
—Anja Webb, Parents, 31 Oct. 2025
This 2022 Netflix original documentary will have your skin crawling.
—Emy Lacroix, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
No one enjoys finding moths fluttering around the flour or tiny caterpillars crawling in the cereal.
—Lauren Wicks, Southern Living, 28 Oct. 2025
On Monday morning, the monster storm was crawling forward at only 3 mph.
—Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2025
The adjustable cords along the bottom cuffs even keep bugs from crawling up your calves.
—Katie Jackson, Travel + Leisure, 26 Oct. 2025
Verb
His fur was singed and bitten, his arm broken, and his mouth crawling with maggots.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
Amazon has already taken steps in recent months to prevent external AI agents from crawling its website, including those developed by OpenAI, Google and Meta.
—Ashley Capoot,annie Palmer, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2025
Creatures crawling out of gunk, their legs extending, their toe-webs rescinding, amoebic eyes getting harder.
—Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025
There are many options when looking for gifts for 7-year-olds, but some of my favorites include the viral wall-crawling gecko, the classic Bop It, and a scary-cool blind-box doll set.
—Anja Webb, Parents, 31 Oct. 2025
This 2022 Netflix original documentary will have your skin crawling.
—Emy Lacroix, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
No one enjoys finding moths fluttering around the flour or tiny caterpillars crawling in the cereal.
—Lauren Wicks, Southern Living, 28 Oct. 2025
On Monday morning, the monster storm was crawling forward at only 3 mph.
—Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2025
The adjustable cords along the bottom cuffs even keep bugs from crawling up your calves.
—Katie Jackson, Travel + Leisure, 26 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crawling
Adjective
-
Fortunately, there's usually plenty of pleasant autumn days after the first frost to tackle the remaining fall gardening tasks at a more leisurely rate.—
Andy Wilcox,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 Nov. 2025
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During November, coastal towns transform into quieter versions of themselves, offering a season for birdwatching, leisurely walks, or festivals with good music and food.—
Gabi De la Rosa,
Southern Living,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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In the end, the Democrats mostly oriented their demands toward health care—above all, the renewal of expiring Obamacare subsidies—as opposed to, say, prioritizing more abstract ultimatums related to creeping authoritarianism.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
11 Nov. 2025
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Although the start of winter is still a few weeks away, colder temperatures and even snow chances are creeping in.—
Laura L. Davis,
Nashville Tennessean,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Apart from being walking-friendly enough for commuting to and from the office, the relatively comfortable heel also gives your denim, maxidresses, and trousers a little lift, keeping hems from dragging.—
Shelby Ying Hyde,
Glamour,
11 Nov. 2025
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Introducing a 50-year mortgage could help individuals and families facing higher borrowing and homeownership costs, but experts warn that any benefit could be easily outweighed by dragging on payments for 20 years longer than the standard 30-year term.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Tonight, after poking the bear, this bear roared.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Nov. 2025
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There are also dual Akrapvoic exhausts poking out the rear, framed by slim taillights.—
Abhimanyu Ghoshal,
New Atlas,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Flowers bloom all over the city, from fragrant jasmine to hot pink petals bursting from Judas trees.—
Katie Nadworny,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Nov. 2025
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While images of retinas bursting with color and a dove flapping its wings on an outstretched human hand looped behind them, the two allowed the crowd to grow denser while bobbing along to their rhythms.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Hoover finished 319 yards on 34-of-50 passing, but his two turnovers were critical mistakes that led to TCU’s slow start in the first half.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Nov. 2025
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When visiting the exhibit, plan on taking your time to make the most of it, or what the American Federation of Arts calls slow looking.—
Susan B. Barnes,
Southern Living,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Hydroplaning is the term for when a vehicle begins sliding uncontrollably on wet roads.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Nov. 2025
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Or are the Seminoles at risk of sliding into irrelevance if trips to the Gator Bowl become acceptable?—
Matt Baker,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
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So, if the Phillies were to target Bichette, there would be some sort of shuffling in the infield.—
Patrick McAvoy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Nov. 2025
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In 2022, Kelsey pleaded guilty to illegally shuffling money from his state Senate campaign account to his federal congressional campaign account.—
Vivian Jones,
Nashville Tennessean,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Crawling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crawling. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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