crawls 1 of 2

Definition of crawlsnext
present tense third-person singular of crawl
1
as in creeps
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

Relevance
2
3
4
as in bursts
to be copiously supplied something must be up, as city hall is crawling with reporters

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

crawls

2 of 2

noun

plural of crawl

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of crawls
Verb
Think about how often your toddler crawls near the dog bed or your kids toss pet toys around the living room. Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Apr. 2026 In the book, Grace drags Rocky back to his part of the ship, exposing himself to the Eridian environment; in the film, Rocky crawls back while Grace is unconscious. Matthew Razak, Space.com, 23 Mar. 2026 The Shops at Yale recently announced the return of the New Haven food crawls and have added a date in December, according to a statement. Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 18 Mar. 2026 On Polymarket’s tab for Bitcoin, a line graph crawls along like a seismograph, showing the price to beat as the total cost fluctuates by hundreds of dollars a second. Joe Wilkins Published Mar 18, Futurism, 18 Mar. 2026 The checkpoint ahead crawls forward as officers slide mirrors beneath cars and canines weave through the line, sniffing for explosives. Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 14 Mar. 2026 As the Bay Area slowly — some might say glacially — crawls into spring, there’s nothing better than sipping a hot cup of tea or coffee to warm yourself up. Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2026 As with aftermarket switchable sway bar systems, drivers can lock the sway bars in place for better handling and stability at speed and unlock them completely for maximum articulation during bumpy rock crawls. New Atlas, 9 Feb. 2026 Ma crawls toward you and plants her palms on your cheeks. Molly Aitken, New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crawls
Verb
  • As the world creeps toward peak travel season, industry leaders are taking notice of the fuel shortages.
    Justin Klawans, TheWeek, 13 Apr. 2026
  • The bottom line Concentration risk often creeps into your portfolio over time.
    Doug Ashburn, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The share of Americans who disapprove of the job that Congress is doing stands at an all-time high as the partial government shutdown drags on, according to new polling from Gallup.
    Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 22 Apr. 2026
  • The longer his nomination drags on, the greater the chance that the Fed and other central banks will be able to look past the Iran war's oil-price shock and get back to worrying about a weakening labor market.
    Matt Peterson, CNBC, 21 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • While attendance has improved following partial compensation measures, the damage to morale and institutional trust lingers.
    Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
  • Evoking a lifeless image to start a conversation about energy flow was counterintuitive, but the image lingers and proves his point.
    Jasna Hodžić, Big Think, 22 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The 60-year immigration bubble finally bursts.
    , FOXNews.com, 29 Jan. 2026
  • Once a cushioned conduit to the other side, the casket now bursts with the wisdom of a life lived outside the box.
    Elizabeth Hernandez, Denver Post, 16 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The police department, posting on the social platform X, advised travelers in the morning to avoid the area due to a police investigation and to expect delays and heavy traffic.
    Julie Walker, Chicago Tribune, 11 Apr. 2026
  • The police department, posting on the social media site X, had urged travelers to avoid the area Saturday morning due to a police investigation and to expect delays and heavy traffic.
    Julie Walker, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Another car snakes down the road.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Apr. 2026
  • Londoners won’t queue for just anything, but the coffee and pastries at Jolene are well worth joining the line that often snakes around the corner.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Tristan returns home and greets James while Siegfried shuffles the woman out the window.
    Alice Burton, Vulture, 12 Jan. 2026
  • That is not unique — Major League Baseball’s offseason shuffles along at a deliberate pace, just as the Dodgers historically have liked.
    Katie Woo, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • The clip also pokes fun at Roach's retirement announcement in 2023, only to return to the industry two years later.
    Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026
  • Your 6th House of Health takes focus with the nurturing Moon there, though Luna also pokes expensive Jupiter in your 3rd House of Distractions.
    Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 Apr. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Crawls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crawls. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on crawls

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster