Thesaurus results for SLITHER

slither

verb

ˈsli-t͟hər

Definition of slither

as in to snake

to move slowly with the body close to the ground a snake slithering through the garden

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 slither The roaring bassline slithers beneath a wavering flute note before the floor gives out, and the song begins its fast and furious descent. — Kiana Mickles, Pitchfork, 12 June 2026 North Carolina is crawling, or perhaps slithering, with copperheads. — Eva Flowe, Charlotte Observer, 22 June 2026 Homeownership feels increasingly out of reach for many Americans, but not for this group of creatures, which slithered into an uninhabited home in Arkansas, much to the chagrin of the realtor trying to sell it. — Drew Pittock, USA Today, 5 June 2026 There are anywhere between 100,000 and 300,000 invasive Burmese pythons (Python bivittatus) currently slithering through the Florida Everglades. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 2 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for slither

Recent Examples of Synonyms for slither

Verb

Food trucks reopened after the storm and long lines snaked around the vendor area.

— Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 4 July 2026
The New River, which snakes through West Virginia, Virginia, and North Carolina, may be one of the oldest river systems on earth.

— Josh Laskin, Travel + Leisure, 3 July 2026

Definition of snake

Verb

So, while the Dodgers crawled out of the hole with a season-high 17 hits, the steep cost heightens the pressure on the rest of the rotation the rest of the series.

— Liana Handler Follow, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
The Germans were crawling as far as the street, dashing across the asphalt, then leaping into the second trench.

— Vasily Grossman, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026

Definition of crawl

Verb

Leaders should identify where bottlenecks crept back in, restore psychological safety around small failures, and rebuild the feedback loops that make frequent, low-risk deployment feel sustainable.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Asked Monday what the best part about being back has been so far, a big smile crept across Watkins’ face.

— Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026

Definition of creep

Verb

The Real Madrid star played a give-and-go with captain Harry Kane and received the ball back in the center of the box, sliding it past the Mexican keeper and into the back of the net for a shock 2-0 lead that came in all of two minutes.

— Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 5 July 2026
Hydroplaning occurs when a vehicle begins to slide uncontrollably on wet roads.

— NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 5 July 2026

Definition of slide

Browse Nearby Words

slit

slither

slithered

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Slither.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slither. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of slither

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on slither

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

perfunctory

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

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

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

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes