slithering

present participle of slither
as in creeping
to move slowly with the body close to the ground a snake slithering through the garden

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 slithering Here are seven solutions to keep these animals slithering past your yard. Nadia Hassani, The Spruce, 6 July 2026 There are anywhere between 100,000 and 300,000 invasive Burmese pythons (Python bivittatus) currently slithering through the Florida Everglades. Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 2 July 2026 North Carolina is crawling, or perhaps slithering, with copperheads. Eva Flowe, Charlotte Observer, 22 June 2026 On land, movements range from crawling and slithering (worms, mollusks, arthropods, snakes) to walking and running. Literary Hub, 22 June 2026 His wife, Cheryl Hines, is heard off camera asking him to be careful with the slithering reptiles. Marina Watts, Entertainment Weekly, 26 May 2026 But his idealized vision of a past paradise of social cohesion that late-stage capitalism destroyed doesn’t reckon with the snakes that were always there in this imaginary Eden, including a personal betrayal that’s close to home and only comes slithering out in a moment of drunken weakness. Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026 Embiid is waiting to impede Bridges, but Bridges doesn’t even touch him, instead slithering around his left hip. Fred Katz, New York Times, 15 May 2026 As Seth seethes about his separation from his home country (and the family fortune), Arias interweaves a backstory involving assassination, undisclosed parentage and (as the title suggests) the perilous creatures slithering across the landscape. Michael Schaub, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slithering
Verb
  • They’re concentrated in the Southeast, but lone star ticks have been making their way north and creeping in from the coasts.
    Meg Tirrell, CNN Money, 14 July 2026
  • Farther north in the Bay Area, residents should expect temperatures in the 90s and some hot spots creeping into the 100s with little relief from the heat overnight, the National Weather Service said.
    Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 13 July 2026
Verb
  • With fervent editing, careful scene geography, and assured direction, the walk before the run can be tense enough to send viewers crawling out of their seats, willing the fugitive onscreen to get a move on already.
    Ben Travers, IndieWire, 15 July 2026
  • Health inspectors observed one small roach-like insect crawling from the mop sink to under the nearby prep table.
    Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 July 2026
Verb
  • Singer-songwriter and guitarist Nick DiSalvo’s plaintive vocals and snaking riffs can gently suggest thoughtful indie rock or tense up to show off more doom-adjacent roots.
    Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 8 July 2026
  • There are few travel moments more deflating than racing through security, grabbing overpriced snacks, and hustling to your gate—only to find your flight has been canceled and the line to speak with an agent is already snaking around the concourse.
    Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 4 July 2026
Verb
  • Hydroplaning is the term for when a vehicle begins sliding uncontrollably on wet roads.
    STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 July 2026
  • Hydroplaning happens when a vehicle starts sliding uncontrollably on wet roads.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 15 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Slithering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slithering. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

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