Synonyms for

Crawled

Verb / krɔ:ld / Another word for crawled — explore alternatives below. For syllable breakdowns and pronunciation, see this word on Syllablesworld.

Definition

To move slowly on hands and knees or by dragging the body along the ground.

Synonyms & similar words

grovel creep cringe fawn crawl cower crept slithered scurried scrambled shuffled trudged waddled creeped dragged inched limped plodded pulled scraped skittered slid slinked snaked staggered stumbled

Synonyms by register

Formal

advanced slowly progressed incrementally moved deliberately

Informal

crept shuffled scuttled waddled

Literary

slithered oozed trailed

Antonyms

walked ran sprinted dashed scampered bounded leapt

Common collocations

  • crawled along
  • crawled out of
  • crawled into
  • crawled over
  • crawled back
  • crawled away
  • crawled through

Word family

noun crawl
verb crawl
adjective crawling

Usage note

Often used to describe slow movement, whether literal (like an insect) or figurative (like a slow computer process). Can sometimes imply a lack of grace or urgency.

Example sentences

  1. The bug crawled up the wall.
  2. The snail crawled across the sidewalk.
  3. The toddler crawled towards his toy.
  4. The injured soldier crawled to safety.
  5. The snake crawled into its den.

Quotes

  • "If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward." - Martin Luther King Jr.
  • "I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion." - Alexander the Great
  • "Be slow to fall into friendship; but when thou art in, continue firm and constant." - Socrates

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