crawls 1 of 2

Definition of crawlsnext
present tense third-person singular of crawl
1
as in creeps
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

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2
3
4
as in bursts
to be copiously supplied something must be up, as city hall is crawling with reporters

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

crawls

2 of 2

noun

plural of crawl

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 crawls
Verb
Think about how often your toddler crawls near the dog bed or your kids toss pet toys around the living room. Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Apr. 2026 In the book, Grace drags Rocky back to his part of the ship, exposing himself to the Eridian environment; in the film, Rocky crawls back while Grace is unconscious. Matthew Razak, Space.com, 23 Mar. 2026 The Shops at Yale recently announced the return of the New Haven food crawls and have added a date in December, according to a statement. Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 18 Mar. 2026 On Polymarket’s tab for Bitcoin, a line graph crawls along like a seismograph, showing the price to beat as the total cost fluctuates by hundreds of dollars a second. Joe Wilkins Published Mar 18, Futurism, 18 Mar. 2026 The checkpoint ahead crawls forward as officers slide mirrors beneath cars and canines weave through the line, sniffing for explosives. Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 14 Mar. 2026 As the Bay Area slowly — some might say glacially — crawls into spring, there’s nothing better than sipping a hot cup of tea or coffee to warm yourself up. Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2026 As with aftermarket switchable sway bar systems, drivers can lock the sway bars in place for better handling and stability at speed and unlock them completely for maximum articulation during bumpy rock crawls. New Atlas, 9 Feb. 2026 Ma crawls toward you and plants her palms on your cheeks. Molly Aitken, New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crawls
Verb
  • As the world creeps toward peak travel season, industry leaders are taking notice of the fuel shortages.
    Justin Klawans, TheWeek, 13 Apr. 2026
  • The bottom line Concentration risk often creeps into your portfolio over time.
    Doug Ashburn, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The trio pulled up on e-bikes, drove up to the entrance of the Information Center and began shouting and taking pictures, pausing to take drags off a vape while peering through the shuttered doors.
    James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
  • Work fewer than 35 years and the SSA plugs zeros into the missing slots, which drags your benefit down.
    Allison Palmer, Charlotte Observer, 28 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The threat of death always lingers – just ask my wooden stairs.
    David Oliver, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
  • The Panama Canal is experiencing an uptick in traffic and generating more lucrative bids to transit the trade artery, aligning with a spike in demand for its reservation system as the Iran war lingers and uncertainty persists regarding the safety of the Strait of Hormuz.
    Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 29 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Haaland bursts our bubble almost immediately by scoring in the opening five minutes, and Burnley miss a few good first-half chances, with striker Zian Flemming particularly culpable.
    Nnamdi Onyeagwara, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026
  • The 60-year immigration bubble finally bursts.
    , FOXNews.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • One challenge the next state controller will face is the effort to modernize the state’s payroll system, which has encountered significant delays and is one of California’s most costly IT projects.
    William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 25 Apr. 2026
  • Drivers saw delays throughout the day Friday as streets running parallel to and crossing 19th Avenue also slowed while people looked for alternate routes.
    Kenny Choi, CBS News, 25 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Another car snakes down the road.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Apr. 2026
  • Londoners won’t queue for just anything, but the coffee and pastries at Jolene are well worth joining the line that often snakes around the corner.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Tristan returns home and greets James while Siegfried shuffles the woman out the window.
    Alice Burton, Vulture, 12 Jan. 2026
  • That is not unique — Major League Baseball’s offseason shuffles along at a deliberate pace, just as the Dodgers historically have liked.
    Katie Woo, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • The script lightly pokes fun at the lofty ambitions of theater-makers who aim to change lives through their art, while ultimately affirming the power of theater to lift people’s spirits.
    Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
  • The clip also pokes fun at Roach's retirement announcement in 2023, only to return to the industry two years later.
    Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Crawls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crawls. Accessed 2 May. 2026.

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