crawls 1 of 2

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

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

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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
Noun
When a storm crawls like this, rainfall piles up over the same towns for days. Briana Waxman, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2025 Everything except Eidra, who asks him not to leave and crawls into his arms. Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 18 Oct. 2025 Chalamet crawls out of the weird-for-the-sake-of-being-weird chamber and chucks the helmet to the ground, displaying his now shaven head. Marci Robin, Allure, 8 Oct. 2025 Arisu crawls onto a mound of rubble for momentary relief, and is met with an angry Banda. Kayti Burt, Time, 26 Sep. 2025 That advice seems only to have strengthened the Democrats’ resolve to stand firm in opposition to the bill, even as the shutdown deadline crawls closer with no sign of a breakthrough. Mike Lillis, The Hill, 22 Sep. 2025 Gameplay begins as the player crawls from the wreckage. G Kirilloff, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025 And, and then something happened that was not very tasty and the stinkbug crawls and flies away. Outside Online, 17 Sep. 2025 In the footage, the dog hilariously crawls under the blanket, which had slipped down the side of his crate, and ends up pulling it completely off. Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crawls
Verb
  • Meyers will continue being a name to watch as the deadline creeps closer.
    Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025
  • The Japanese influence creeps in again with a matcha white chocolate chip cookie.
    Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • However, the risk of adverse effects grows the longer a shutdown drags on.
    Rachel Barber, USA Today, 22 Oct. 2025
  • As the government shutdown drags on, Americans are turning more negative on Congress, according to new Gallup polling.
    Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Who else pokes holes in this claim?
    U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Oct. 2025
  • Later in the episode, Kelce's cohost and brother, Jason Kelce, pokes fun at Lively's athleticism in a storyline that sees Bridget attend a soccer camp.
    Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • 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
  • Later, as the film plays, the crowd bursts intermittently into laughter, cracking up at the clown-car quality of everyone piling into the van for the first time.
    Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • In addition, New York City and Philadelphia also faced tornado watches and considerable rainfall, creating risks of flash flooding and travel delays.
    Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
  • Mike Hellstrom, vice president and eastern regional manager of the Laborers’ International Union of North America, said the funding cut likely means delays for a multigenerational project, which means extra costs and potential job losses.
    Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 18 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The campers and counselors died after torrential rain forced water levels on the river, which snakes through multiple summer camps in the region, to rise from 3 feet to 30 feet in a matter of hours.
    Karina Tsui, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2025
  • The district snakes through southeast Texas from the border near Hidalgo − through Pulido's native Edinburg − and northward up around Corpus Christi, where the Tejano singer Selena has her roots.
    Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 17 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Gakpo is deeper, and Wirtz pushes forward as the central member of Liverpool’s forward line, while Ekitike shuffles across as the left of the trio.
    Mark Carey, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
  • Because global air travel shuffles millions of people around the world daily, an outbreak of a very contagious disease anywhere can become a threat everywhere.
    Amy E. Stambach, The Conversation, 12 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • But living through that moment, in that city, at that time of my life, left a mark and the ethos of it all still lingers.
    Kate Belli, PEOPLE, 18 Oct. 2025
  • The camera lingers over the $20 bill Maggie has left, and the film cuts to black.
    Barry Levitt, Time, 17 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Crawls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crawls. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.

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