1
as in crept
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in dragged
to move slowly
the weekend traffic on the road to the beach just crawled
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in lingered
to move or act slowly
the deadline is fast approaching, so this is no time to crawl
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 crawled
One live roach crawled on the floor in front of a storage rack with seasoning and cans.
—
David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 6 Feb. 2026
Maybe the girl had crawled under a neighbor's trailer while playing hide-and-seek.
—Kristine Phillips, IndyStar, 5 Feb. 2026
One first responder walked and crawled out on the ice when someone was spotted.
—Joe Brandt, CBS News, 5 Feb. 2026
Mergers have crawled since 2021 and were finally expected to rebound last year.
—Luisa Beltran, Sportico.com, 29 Jan. 2026
The young man belly-crawled on the ice to reach the panicked dog and pulled the animal out of the water, according to the outlet.
—Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026
But that was well over a year ago, and the procurement process has crawled ever since.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 23 Jan. 2026
Some of the protesters crawled to escape the gunfire.
—Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 22 Jan. 2026
Before the van could drive away, one quick thinker crawled under it and stayed there for the duration of the eight-hour protest that followed.
—Josh Slater-Williams, IndieWire, 22 Jan. 2026
David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 6 Feb. 2026
Maybe the girl had crawled under a neighbor's trailer while playing hide-and-seek.
—Kristine Phillips, IndyStar, 5 Feb. 2026
One first responder walked and crawled out on the ice when someone was spotted.
—Joe Brandt, CBS News, 5 Feb. 2026
Mergers have crawled since 2021 and were finally expected to rebound last year.
—Luisa Beltran, Sportico.com, 29 Jan. 2026
The young man belly-crawled on the ice to reach the panicked dog and pulled the animal out of the water, according to the outlet.
—Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026
But that was well over a year ago, and the procurement process has crawled ever since.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 23 Jan. 2026
Some of the protesters crawled to escape the gunfire.
—Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 22 Jan. 2026
Before the van could drive away, one quick thinker crawled under it and stayed there for the duration of the eight-hour protest that followed.
—Josh Slater-Williams, IndieWire, 22 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crawled
Verb
-
Diabate put his head down to butt up against Duren’s forehead after the two slowly crept toward each other and Duren took his right hand and swiped at Diabate.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Nerves about possibly missing the NCAA Tournament have crept back in among fans in College Station.—
Tony Catalina,
Austin American Statesman,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The beat stood out in part because expectations had been so low after a stalling labor market grew more dire as the year dragged on.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
11 Feb. 2026
-
During her arrest in December, security forces beat the activist repeatedly and dragged her by the hair, tearing sections of her scalp, and continued to beat her in the transport vehicle, the Nobel Committee said in a statement issued earlier Wednesday.—
Jomana Karadsheh,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Back in the Mexico City bar, as the game resumed and fans turned their attention back to the field, the excitement lingered.—
Martin Silva Rey,
Fortune,
10 Feb. 2026
-
The emotions of Sunday's downhill race lingered over Tuesday's competition.—
Becky Sullivan,
NPR,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
That message carried into the museum's science classrooms, where children learned about electricity by holding hands to create a human circuit — prompting cheers as a device buzzed and lit up.—
Eva Andersen,
CBS News,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Fresh off a plane and finally inside the Toyota Center with a new cast of characters, Coby White stood on the baseline while the activity buzzed around him.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Duprey swerved and slid under a vehicle.—
Alexa Herrera,
CBS News,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Centene — Shares of the health insurance provider slid 5%.—
Liz Napolitano,
CNBC,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The Royals shuffled through outfielders at a rapid rate.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Johnny Rondon-Rodriguez, a Venezuelan who had been shuffled in and out of jail since his arrest earlier this month, was similarly released by senior District Judge John Antoon, who heard his case immediately following Lleo-Rodriguez’s.—
Cristóbal Reyes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Votes in the House were delayed from Tuesday afternoon to the evening as leadership sought to convince nearly half a dozen GOP holdouts to vote for the measure.—
Rachel Schilke,
The Washington Examiner,
11 Feb. 2026
-
So with official jobs data due out on Wednesday, delayed by several days because of the brief partial government shutdown, analysts say stocks could go even lower on bad news — or even on news that looks too good.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Marlin burst through the building yelling, according to several people working there that morning.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
-
After flooding and damage from bursting pipes worsened over the past week and a half at the troubled Concierge Apartments in Rocky Hill, town officials officially condemned 200 apartments in the massive complex Thursday afternoon.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crawled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crawled. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
