as in leisurely
moving or proceeding at less than the normal, desirable, or required speed
the crawling pace of the narrative is really frustrating
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in creeping
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
2
as in dragging
to move slowly
the weekend traffic on the road to the beach just crawled
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in poking
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 crawling
Kelsey Borovinsky, Architectural Digest, 9 Feb. 2026
Our March trip coincided with the birthing season, and as a result the place was crawling with baby animals.
—Flora Stubbs, Travel + Leisure, 7 Feb. 2026
Video captured from a rescue chopper hovering above Jamaica Bay showed the NYPD’s frogmen in action, with multiple divers crawling across the ice and plunging into the frigid waters to attach the victims to tethers, before the helicopters airlifted them to safety.
—Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 7 Feb. 2026
As for the living, one was crawling on a white rice container.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 6 Feb. 2026
In the video posted on social media, a woman standing on a chair removes her sneaker and throws it across the room at a child crawling on the ground.
—Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
Stay low and keep crawling forward for 3 sets of 10 repetitions.
—Rikkilynn Shields Hannigan, Health, 29 Jan. 2026
Soon Carbone was crawling with celebrities.
—Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Most people want to know how to keep bed bugs away from their homes because, unlike more harmless bugs crawling around the house, a bed bug infestation is a massive ordeal.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 23 Jan. 2026
Verb
To save energy and prevent overheating, there’s a handy power button on top to easily turn the system on and off without crawling beneath your desk to access the wall outlet.
—Kelsey Borovinsky, Architectural Digest, 9 Feb. 2026
Our March trip coincided with the birthing season, and as a result the place was crawling with baby animals.
—Flora Stubbs, Travel + Leisure, 7 Feb. 2026
Video captured from a rescue chopper hovering above Jamaica Bay showed the NYPD’s frogmen in action, with multiple divers crawling across the ice and plunging into the frigid waters to attach the victims to tethers, before the helicopters airlifted them to safety.
—Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 7 Feb. 2026
As for the living, one was crawling on a white rice container.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 6 Feb. 2026
In the video posted on social media, a woman standing on a chair removes her sneaker and throws it across the room at a child crawling on the ground.
—Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
Stay low and keep crawling forward for 3 sets of 10 repetitions.
—Rikkilynn Shields Hannigan, Health, 29 Jan. 2026
Soon Carbone was crawling with celebrities.
—Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Most people want to know how to keep bed bugs away from their homes because, unlike more harmless bugs crawling around the house, a bed bug infestation is a massive ordeal.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 23 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crawling
Adjective
-
Just like the trains themselves, these glamorous culinary experiences are reminiscent of the golden era of travel, with gracious table-settings, intricate confections, and a leisurely, unhurried pace.—
Jessica Puckett,
Condé Nast Traveler,
5 Feb. 2026
-
The hike up took under two hours at a leisurely pace, and the 360-degree views of the entire island were surreal.—
James Barrett,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
And if this keeps up, the Hornets have a legitimate chance to end the NBA’s longest current playoff drought, which is creeping in on a full decade.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Balancing weight loss with bone health Helpful strategies to prevent weight regain related to diet include building meals around lean protein and noticing where calories might be creeping in, such as snacks, sugary drinks and alcohol.—
Amy J. Sheer,
The Conversation,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Trump’s dragging his own name and America’s name in the muck.—
Maureen Dowd,
Mercury News,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Their misery was compounded by Szoboszlai’s dismissal for dragging back Erling Haaland deep into stoppage time when the net was gaping, with goalkeeper Alisson marooned upfield.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The Telltale Signs of Rotary Motion The re-examination revealed unmistakable evidence that this was no simple awl meant for poking holes.—
Ryan Brennan,
Miami Herald,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Garlic is a kitchen staple for many, but spotting a green sprout poking out of a clove can raise questions about food safety.—
Caitlin Beale,
Health,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Adding White to a young crop bursting in talent thanks to the likes of Ball, Miller and Knueppel only bolsters the Hornets’ chances to end the playoff drought.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
That builds on similar trends throughout 2025, when the industry buoyed an otherwise slow labor market, as the nation’s hospitals, clinics and nursing homes kept hiring even as many employers pulled back.—
Abha Bhattarai,
Washington Post,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Any type of realism was [limited to] very short clips, everything was very slow, bad textures, no skin textures, lacking detail.—
Arjun Kharpal,
CNBC,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The sell-off comes alongside broader market woes, with tech stocks sliding and investors increasingly seeking shelter in old-school safe havens like gold and government bonds.—
Dante Motley,
Austin American Statesman,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Dishes from other Olympic host cities Cortina will host women’s Alpine skiing, sliding sports (bobsled, luge and skeleton) and curling during the Games.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Bridgerton treats it as though every woman got multiples of their yearbook photo to hand around as headshots, and Benedict’s taking what would have been treasured personal heirlooms and just shuffling through them and tossing out anyone with the wrong hair color.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Silvia showed them little affection or attention, shuffling quickly through the infants to feed, change, or hold them.—
Ava Kofman,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crawling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crawling. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
