1
2
as in drags
to move slowly
the weekend traffic on the road to the beach just crawled
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in lingers
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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show current usage.
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Recent Examples of crawls
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
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
-
Mira’s politics are still primarily shaped by her parents, but the culture creeps in.—
Anna Wiener,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Mildew creeps along the corners of the tub.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The performance itself grows increasingly grating as the runtime drags on, particularly when Johnny’s scene partners overpower him by connecting deeper and doing less.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
6 May 2026
-
The same logic should apply to the papering process itself, the document drafting and redlining that drags on long after the business points are ostensibly settled.—
George Heller,
HollywoodReporter,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
The night footage is especially beautiful and memorable, and the careful handling of light shapes an aesthetic that lingers well beyond the final frame.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
7 May 2026
-
Spiking energy costs as the war in the Middle East lingers.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
Haaland bursts our bubble almost immediately by scoring in the opening five minutes, and Burnley miss a few good first-half chances, with striker Zian Flemming particularly culpable.—
Nnamdi Onyeagwara,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The 60-year immigration bubble finally bursts.—
,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Porter focused on cutting bureaucracy, calling for a single statewide development permit to streamline approvals and reduce delays.—
Noe Padilla,
USA Today,
9 May 2026
-
Police have asked those traveling around the area to plan for delays and try alternative routes if possible.—
Fousia Abdullahi,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 May 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
-
Kym is the family fuckup and a guilty party to its biggest tragedy but also constantly pokes the bear as its selfish verbal assassin.—
Chris Feil,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
-
Instead, the robot simply pokes through it.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crawls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crawls. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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