CRAWLS Synonyms: 151 Similar and Opposite Words

crawls 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of crawl

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

Relevance

as in drags

to move slowly the weekend traffic on the road to the beach just crawled

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in lingers

to move or act slowly the deadline is fast approaching, so this is no time to crawl

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

as in delays

Related Words

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

There’s also a less than 10% chance of showers, if one of the hurricanes crawls farther up the coast, according to Wofford. — Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026 Hairy-nosed wombat births are hard to spot, as after about a 30-day pregnancy, the joey crawls into its mother’s pouch. — Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 16 Aug. 2026 Researchers have developed a new control framework that enables humanoid robots to perform agile movements, including army crawls, breakdancing and backflips. — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026 Markets do not hold still for a year and a half while your deal crawls through due diligence. — Lien De Pau, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026 Footage of the moment shows Menitoff acting as if nothing is happening as the bug crawls on her. — Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 16 July 2026 Seltz’s system crawls hundreds of millions of pages a day, and returns results in under 200 milliseconds. — Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 24 June 2026 At sunset, the city starts glowing around you while traffic crawls silently below. — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 28 May 2026 Leclerc crawls through the long right-hand Turn 12, where Lindblad moves ahead again. — Alex Kalinauckas, New York Times, 11 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for crawls

Verb

The tone creeps into despair as the scales fall from Sutskever’s eyes.

— E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
Rain creeps back into the forecast by the middle of next week, when the tides are expected to be closer to normal.

— Alex Harris Updated September 27, Miami Herald, 27 Sep. 2026

Definition of creeps

Verb

Try to keep that in mind the next time your kid drags you to some terrible Star Wars thing that nobody asked for.

— Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 23 Oct. 2026
The deadpan family comedy follows a 63-year-old man who drags nine relatives on a one-day tour of nine temples after a fortune teller warns that his mother will soon die.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of drags

Verb

Afternoon highs on Friday are expected to be a much cooler 57 degrees as a 40% chance of rainfall lingers in the area.

— Hali Smith, Idaho Statesman, 20 Oct. 2026
That rinse-clean standard matters for anyone worried about buildup, since a scalp oil that lingers after washing can leave hair looking greasy rather than nourished.

— Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of lingers

Verb

In these moments, the actor bursts through his roles as the Spider does through Reilly, unleashing the Grand Guignol excess that is Nicolas Cage.

— Harmon Siegel, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
Things quickly take a terrifying turn during surgery when a scorpion tail suddenly bursts through Perry’s back, attacking one of the surgeons mid-operation.

— Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026

Definition of bursts

Noun

While supply constraints are contributing to the delays, strong demand suggests the device could become another growth engine.

— Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2026
Together, these efforts can help smooth the often difficult path from the first unexplained symptoms to an accurate diagnosis, while reducing the risk of both misdiagnosis and unnecessary delays.

— Bruce Bebo, STAT, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of delays

Verb

The new district snakes up through Kansas City’s urban core, in an attempt to create a district more favorable for Republicans in the 5th District.

— Jack Harvel July 28, Kansas City Star, 28 July 2026
The story of McCarthy’s life was written on this winding street that snakes through a small, working-class corner of Pittsburgh where the Monongahela River bends.

— Mike DeFabo, New York Times, 27 July 2026

Definition of snakes

Browse Nearby Words

crawling

crawls

crawlway

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Crawls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crawls. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of crawls

verb

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

grotesque

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes