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
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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
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Recent Examples of crawling
Marcia Dunn, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
One provider recommended a different formula, but Laura responded that her son was burning calories by kicking in his bed, crawling and wheeling around in his wheelchair.
—Amelia Mugavero, CBS News, 1 Apr. 2026
King acknowledged that getting there need not involve crawling through mud.
—Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
But for all its twists and turns, Boston and her cast, writers, and directors never let up on the promise of the show’s title and the skin-crawling sensations the pilot’s opening scenes (of Rachel and Nicky’s wedding and its insane, bloody aftermath) giddily pile on.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 28 Mar. 2026
Cops said Woods exited his Land Rover by crawling out of its passenger-side window.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 27 Mar. 2026
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
Another pair were crawling on a kitchen prep table.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 20 Mar. 2026
Verb
Until Isaacman’s program makeover, Artemis III was crawling toward a moon landing no sooner than 2029.
—Marcia Dunn, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
One provider recommended a different formula, but Laura responded that her son was burning calories by kicking in his bed, crawling and wheeling around in his wheelchair.
—Amelia Mugavero, CBS News, 1 Apr. 2026
King acknowledged that getting there need not involve crawling through mud.
—Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
But for all its twists and turns, Boston and her cast, writers, and directors never let up on the promise of the show’s title and the skin-crawling sensations the pilot’s opening scenes (of Rachel and Nicky’s wedding and its insane, bloody aftermath) giddily pile on.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 28 Mar. 2026
Cops said Woods exited his Land Rover by crawling out of its passenger-side window.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 27 Mar. 2026
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
Another pair were crawling on a kitchen prep table.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 20 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crawling
Adjective
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So the coming months are a period for cocktails in bigger glasses, vessels that welcome more liquid for more leisurely sipping.—
Scott Hocker,
TheWeek,
20 Mar. 2026
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Otherwise, consider the more posh neighborhoods of Chelsea and Kensington—ideal for leisurely days spent browsing boutiques and art galleries or strolling over to Notting Hill for coffee and craft bakeries.—
Katharine Sohn,
Architectural Digest,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The technology is sweeping almost every profession while also creeping into people’s personal lives, sometimes with devastating consequences.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
1 Apr. 2026
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Her works explored Oedipal urges and creeping fascism.—
Laura Regensdorf,
Vogue,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But right now, while the press is still bad and the lawsuits are still dragging, sellers should take a breath.—
Matthew Sedacca,
Curbed,
31 Mar. 2026
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The SaaSpocalypse, ultimately, was a knee-jerk, existential reaction to where AI is (slowly, in many contexts) dragging the tech stack.—
Allie Garfinkle,
Fortune,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But rather than big Hawaiian swells, these waves were the crashing sounds of social media users poking fun at the look of the upcoming Disney film.—
Angelique Jackson,
Variety,
26 Mar. 2026
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His father came around the corner in time to see his arms poking up above the rim, a cartoon character in need of rescue.—
Eric Boodman,
Vulture,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In the dotcom era, the economists explained, the economy reflected the latter scenario, where gains failed to show, bursting the bubble.—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
1 Apr. 2026
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Lendeborg today feels like an overnight sensation, bursting on the scene in his maize-and-blue out of nowhere.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Affecting the first two receptors means retatrutide may help suppress appetite and slow digestion, which can help users feel full after eating even smaller meals.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
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Long train rides and other slow travel between places offer exactly the meditative in-between space your nervous system is craving.—
Kirah Tabourn,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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While road salt is a key element to preventing cars from slipping and sliding over roads in winter, the mineral can damage cars over time.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
USA Today,
25 Mar. 2026
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The company’s debt load far exceeded its market capitalization, and its credit rating was sliding toward junk.—
Nir Eyal,
Harvard Business Review,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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These chips spend most of their energy shuffling data between a memory unit and a processor.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Mar. 2026
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So what better way to cap all that off than closing out the Oscars — even if the clip played while the audience was shuffling out of the theater and calling their Ubers.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crawling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crawling. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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