slithering

verb

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 Since the nineteen-nineties, a Korean New Wave had been praised for embedding capitalist critique in movies packed with monsters, slithering octopuses, killers, and killer cops. — E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026 So are silverfish — those small, slithering insects attracted to starchy materials found in books and their bindings. — Martine Thompson, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2026 Officials issued the alert Monday after a man shared with police an image appearing to show the dangerous reptile slithering from the thin branch of a tree onto the roof of a backyard shed. — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026 Perhaps the most striking styles in the lineup stood on curvaceous, sculptural heels resembling slithering snakes. — Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2026 There was unexpected wildlife – a screeching macaque and a viper slithering across a path. — Everett Potter, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026 This is believed to be the first slithering creature seen at a football practice since Drew Rosenhaus. — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slithering
  1. creeping
  2. crawling
  3. snaking
  4. sliding
Verb
  • Finally, while work is underway to build a formal framework for economic espionage, Congress must prevent any creeping erosion of the existing norm through the potentially corrupt dissemination of intelligence to favored companies.
    — DAVID S. COHEN, Foreign Affairs, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Yep, there are more and more signs creeping in by the election cycle.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of creeping
Verb
  • At the hospital, an insect fell from the girl’s shoe, and a staffer saw a cockroach crawling on her, the district attorney’s office said.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Of course, an extra three-quarters of an inch clearance and some elastic straps do not transform a unibody, front-biased crossover into an invincible rock-crawling monster.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of crawling
Verb
  • To judge from the lines of young, very devoted fans snaking around the cemetery, Geese has already built the requisite subculture to thrive longer-term.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The intricate, snaking sculpture is comprised of 537 individual elements suspended from the rafters.
    — Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of snaking
Verb
  • With primary colors and winter gear Wondering how to avoid sliding across the sidewalk or catching a cold and still stay fashionable in extreme weather conditions?
    — Catie Pusateri, Glamour, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The rooms Every single one of the 75 rooms is ocean-facing, with floor to ceiling sliding glass doors framing the view, and leading to private terraces perched above the mangroves.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of sliding

Browse Nearby Words

slithered
slithering
slithers
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Slithering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slithering. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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