to crawl

Examples

• All

• Young visitors can even crawl through the cave or hang upside down like a bat.

  Academic text (1995)

• When we got up in the morning, they crawled out from under our bed.

  Fiction book (1990)

• You crawl inside, you crawl and then sit down.

  LOL Podcast

• I like to crawl around my house rather than walk.

• Tim put down the radio and started to crawl over into the front seat.

  Fiction book (1990)

• But when they hatch, they crawl out of the water to get food.

  CreepCast

• The rock was replaced, and we turned around and crawled back out to the entrance.

  Academic text (2011)

• The rest of the old man slowly emerged and crawled over to have a look.

  Fiction book (1990)

• But hey, when I was her age, I crawled into bed mentally exhausted.

• I found him crawling around on the kitchen floor vomiting and speaking in tongues.

  Crazy Eyes (2012)

Synonyms

C

to creep

vsto crawl

155 2.5

To move slowly and quietly with the body low to the ground

moves slowly close to the ground using hands, knees, or whole body contact

Antonyms

R

to run

∞ 1.0

To move a boat fast in the same direction as the wind

S

sprint

55 2.1

A short, very fast run over a small distance

Idioms

C

to crawl before you walk

1 5.0

To start with simple tasks before trying harder ones

M

to make someone's skin crawl

• Informal

7.4

Cause a strong feeling of fear or disgust with a creepy physical feeling

Phrasal Verbs

C

to crawl with

42 5.1

To be full of many animals or people, often in an unpleasant way

C

to crawl in

• Informal

3 3.3

To go to bed slowly because you feel very tired

C

to crawl over each other

1 3.4

Move over each other on hands and knees, often playfully

B

to begin to crawl

1 2.8

Start to move or make progress very slowly after being faster

P

to pub-crawl

• Informal

7.4

To visit several pubs in one night, drinking at each one

Compounds

C

crawl space

• Specialized

15 5.7

A low narrow space under the main floor of a building that people use to reach pipes and wires

P

pub crawl

• Informal

4 6.8

A group visiting several pubs or bars and having a drink at each

F

front crawl

1 3.7

A swimming stroke done face down where arms move alternately over the water and legs kick

A

Australian crawl

• Specialized

1 4.6

A swimming stroke where the arms move one after the other above the water and the legs kick fast

T

turtle-crawl approach

• Informal

8.2

A very slow way of doing something that wastes time

How Fast

sprint

55 2.1

to run

∞ 1.0

to jog

29 1.0

to walk

∞ 1.0

to crawl

406 1.0

Surface Forms

Etymology