slithering

Definition of slitheringnext
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 Still, being naturally snake-free doesn’t mean there isn’t a single snake slithering around Ireland. K. R. Callaway, Scientific American, 17 Mar. 2026 Virgie is pursued, in some of the play’s funniest moments, by a slithering cultist in shiny green gloves who purrs like a deadly kitty and moves like an Animaniac. Sara Holdren, Vulture, 11 Mar. 2026 Student Christina Chang says that being mindful of the snakes slithering around keeps her grounded in the practice. Deena Prichep, NPR, 11 Mar. 2026 None were more notable than Biel’s 68th-minute goal off a slithering cross from Liel Abada, and then Biel’s stoppage-time goal to seal it. Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 8 Mar. 2026 Even the opening credits, some written in slithering hair, seem to tremble out of either fear or ecstasy. Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026 Like a shuddersome image of worms slithering from underneath a rock, a bunch of powerful and formerly respected people in America and beyond have been exposed by the Epstein files. Maureen Dowd, Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2026 The Grammy-winning artist later reclaimed the slithering serpent as one of the key visual elements of her follow-up album, Reputation. Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Jan. 2026 My back resembled a winding river or slithering snake. Kimberly Zapata, Parents, 4 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slithering
Verb
  • Then those lights flick off abruptly, dropping us into the dark like an elevator glitching down a floor, instead of delivering a creeping descent to hell.
    Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 19 Mar. 2026
  • Because the weeds will start creeping through the cracks in no time, grab the Grampa’s Weeder that gardeners in their 50s, 60s, and 70s use without bending down.
    Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Maritime trade is crawling at Georgia’s ports, but the state authority that operates the nation’s third-busiest cargo terminals isn’t throttling back its expansion efforts.
    Adam Van Brimmer, AJC.com, 24 Mar. 2026
  • An unusually strong high pressure system in the middle to upper levels of the atmosphere has been crawling across the southwestern United States in the past day or so, forecasters said.
    Roberto Villalpando, Austin American Statesman, 21 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Oil follows snaking journeys that can take weeks to go from drill sites to gas pumps.
    ABC News, ABC News, 23 Mar. 2026
  • Long lines greeted passengers at Miami International Airport (MIA) early Monday morning, with some of them stretching the equivalent of a city block snaking through the airport.
    Steve Maugeri, CBS News, 23 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Steps on the other side lead down to a casual dining area and a family/media room with sliding glass doors spilling outside.
    Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 19 Mar. 2026
  • On our hike, Jessie Krebs scolds her boots for sliding on a slick, house-size boulder.
    Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 19 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Slithering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slithering. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.

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