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
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Recent Examples of crawling
Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2026
Footage shared by Sky News showed the animal crawling up onto the eatery's counter.
—Adam England, PEOPLE, 27 Apr. 2026
Rather than crawling through the living room doggie door, Maxwell sleeps in one of the former cells, with easy outdoor access, and his own garden.
—Eric Adler
april 26, Kansas City Star, 26 Apr. 2026
But the board went in a new direction, appointing Manuel Pellegrini — with the Chilean lasting 18 months, before the club came crawling back to Moyes.
—Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Adobe could be crawling its way out of the software stock abyss, after a buyback and an endorsement from Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang revived confidence in the digital media provider.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 22 Apr. 2026
Sick of crawling through rush-hour traffic along Interstate 84 in Meridian?
—Rose Evans
april 20, Idaho Statesman, 20 Apr. 2026
Their boneless design also enables unique movement — from crawling along the ocean floor to jetting through water by expelling it rapidly from their bodies.
—Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Apr. 2026
The roaches crawling in a drawer with clean utensils and rodent poop on a counter didn’t help.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2026
Verb
Police said Morgan was seen crawling under a partially open garage door before jumping into a backyard pool.
—Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2026
Footage shared by Sky News showed the animal crawling up onto the eatery's counter.
—Adam England, PEOPLE, 27 Apr. 2026
Rather than crawling through the living room doggie door, Maxwell sleeps in one of the former cells, with easy outdoor access, and his own garden.
—Eric Adler
april 26, Kansas City Star, 26 Apr. 2026
But the board went in a new direction, appointing Manuel Pellegrini — with the Chilean lasting 18 months, before the club came crawling back to Moyes.
—Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Adobe could be crawling its way out of the software stock abyss, after a buyback and an endorsement from Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang revived confidence in the digital media provider.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 22 Apr. 2026
Sick of crawling through rush-hour traffic along Interstate 84 in Meridian?
—Rose Evans
april 20, Idaho Statesman, 20 Apr. 2026
Their boneless design also enables unique movement — from crawling along the ocean floor to jetting through water by expelling it rapidly from their bodies.
—Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Apr. 2026
The roaches crawling in a drawer with clean utensils and rodent poop on a counter didn’t help.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crawling
Adjective
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Director Gay has sculpted a staging that is faithful to a more leisurely 19th-century storytelling style, yet satisfies modern audiences’ constant craving for stimulation.—
Rob Hubbard,
Twin Cities,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Evenings brought cocktail hours, nightly presentations about the next day’s destination, and leisurely dinners, followed by time in the lounge.—
Susan B. Barnes,
Travel + Leisure,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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For another easy-to-care-for choice that relishes sunlight, look to creeping juniper and its beautifully hazy blue-green leaves.—
Melissa Epifano,
The Spruce,
28 Apr. 2026
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That dingy look creeping across the screens and settling on every surface?—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Miami Herald,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Sam instead proposes that the performer dance to it without music, a prompt that is followed by Anne Hathaway flinging herself across the room, dragging her body across the floor in a hypnotic spectacle that seems to convey struggle, possession, and loss of control.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Apr. 2026
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Even the sleeker Samsonite Proxis feels substantial without dragging you over the limit.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Martha Stewart, however—perhaps the least likely superstar to do so—is poking holes in that fantasy, giving us an iconic new selfie that feels wildly relatable to anyone familiar with the mayhem of getting ready.—
Marci Robin,
Allure,
24 Apr. 2026
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Paul, who co-created the Apple TV+ series and drew from season one for the musical’s script and score, performs a dexterous trick, poking fun at the form’s many ridiculous tropes with an unmistakably affectionate hand.—
Naveen Kumar,
Variety,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Following a brutal winter season, Martha's Bedford farm is now bursting with colorful blooms.—
Michele Laufik,
Martha Stewart,
28 Apr. 2026
-
As April comes to a close, Amazon’s outlet is bursting with even more exciting deals than usual.—
Madeline Merinuk,
PEOPLE,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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He is limited on passing downs and is more of a slow-burn pocket pusher than a man with a plan.—
Tobias Bass,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
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In some cases, lenders may cover the costs of buydown for you (either partially or in full), if the market is particularly slow.—
Aly J Yale,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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At the same time, many institutions are grappling with ballooning operating costs and sliding enrollment, pressures that are intensifying labor conflicts over pay and resources.—
Kate Armanini,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
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In the meantime, sliding on a pair of fins and exploring under the water's surface is a worthwhile way to temporarily escape your daily stresses, get away from doom scrolling and connect with the beauty of nature.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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There was major line shuffling overall by Cooper on this night, not just Kucherov, but tweaks to three lines, which ended up looking a little different than what was shown in pregame warmup.—
Pierre LeBrun,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
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YoshimiO, sharing fellow ’90s icon Flea’s recent interest in the instrument, turns in a credible trumpet line during the track’s shuffling, exuberant second half.—
Reed Jackson,
SPIN,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crawling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crawling. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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