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 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 What in the snake-slithering 'Reputation' is going on? Bryan West, Nashville Tennessean, 12 Dec. 2025 And the story of the city’s slithering saurian appears to have a happy ending. Preston Fore, Fortune, 14 Nov. 2025 In video footage captured, the reptile can be seen slithering in between the front wheels of the car in search of an entry point underneath. Latoya Gayle, PEOPLE, 2 Nov. 2025 In one apt spooky season flourish, a pet snake features prominently in the clip, at one point slithering all over Offset’s grinning face. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slithering
Verb
  • That later Presidents did indeed engage in military action without consulting Congress, creeping on to a power reserved for the legislature, is a fact of the past century and a half of American history but especially since the rise of the national-security state during the Cold War.
    Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2026
  • In full sun or partial shade and well-draining soil, creeping thyme puts on a show, with small flowers covering the ground like a colorful carpet.
    Jamie McIntosh, The Spruce, 3 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Galahadosuchus represents one of the early ancestors of that lineage, and the evolutionary path from upright sprinter to belly-crawling ambush predator is a long one.
    Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 23 Feb. 2026
  • But Baba’s streets were crawling with ICE proxies during his entire childhood.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Hundreds of millions of Chinese travellers embarked on the world’s largest annual migration, snaking across the country’s mammoth rail network to take part in Lunar New Year celebrations.
    Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 17 Feb. 2026
  • Meanwhile, Moscow escalated its attacks on Ukraine's power grid in an apparent effort to deny civilians power and to weaken public support for the war, while hostilities continued along the roughly 600-mile front line snaking through eastern and southern parts of Ukraine.
    DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE STAFF FROM WIRE REPORTS, Arkansas Online, 6 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Hydroplaning is the term for when a vehicle begins sliding uncontrollably on wet roads.
    STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Mar. 2026
  • That’s right, y’all, with the touch of the sliding button, scooping batter for muffins, cupcakes, brownies, and other baked treats is as easy as pie.
    Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 5 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Slithering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slithering. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.

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