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Glite Dictionary
to crawl in

to crawl in

3 3.3
To go to bed slowly because you feel very tired
  • phrasal verb
  • /krɔl ɪn/
  • Informal
translation icon : meterse en la cama
  • If I'm home, I have to fight the urge to crawl in bed.
  • crawl in bed
  • let him crawl in

Examples

  • I found my way over to the bed and crawled in, kicking off my shoes.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • He crawled in, and she pulled the covers up to his neck and tucked him in.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • I remember crawling in just... just before dawn.

    The Moon-Spinners (1964)

  • I crawled in, too, and lay down on my back.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • Then she threw the cover off her bed, crawled in, and pulled the sheet up under her chin.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • I'm going to go home early tonight, and I'm going to take a warm shower, and I'm going to crawl in the bed, and get a good night's sleep.

    After Death (2023)

  • When the heaviness of sleep overcame me, she pushed the cover aside and crawled in gently next to me.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • After a long day, I am ready to crawl in bed and relax.

  • Feeling exhausted, she decided to crawl in bed earlier than usual.

  • He crawled in bed hoping to get some rest before the big day.

Synonyms

to go to bed
vsto crawl in
485 1.0

To get into bed to sleep

is slower and done in a tired, dragging manner
to turn in
vsto crawl in
  • Informal
27 3.5

To go to bed to sleep

is slower and emphasises tiredness rather than routine timing
to retire
vsto crawl in
  • Formal
16 5.8

Go to bed to sleep, usually at night

is slower and more informal, showing weary movement into rest
to hit the sack
vsto crawl in
  • Informal
10 6.0

To go to bed to sleep

is slower and done more wearily than a quick end to day
to hit the hay
vsto crawl in
  • Informal
8 6.0

To go to bed to sleep after a long day

is slower and stresses tired dragging movement rather than prompt rest
to bunk down
vsto crawl in
  • Informal
5 6.8

To sleep in a temporary place like on the floor or in the living room

is slower and emphasises tired movement rather than temporary sleeping spot
to sack out
vsto crawl in
  • Informal
4 7.5

To go to bed to sleep

is slower and implies reluctance or fatigue while getting ready
to bed down
vsto crawl in
4 4.5

To sleep in a temporary place like a barn or tent

is slower and describes a tired, slow approach rather than location
to hit the pillow
vsto crawl in
  • Informal
4 3.7

To go to bed and fall asleep quickly because you are tired

is slower and shows a dragging motion into rest rather than speed
to hit the sheets
vsto crawl in
  • Informal
1 8.6

To go to bed to sleep

is slower and suggests moving slowly because of tiredness
to go to bed with the chickens
vsto crawl in
  • Archaic
1 8.8

To sleep very early, often soon after sunset

is slower and refers to being tired rather than early timing
to fall in the sack
vsto crawl in
  • Informal
8.8

To go to bed or sleep

is slower and focuses on moving slowly because of tiredness
to kip down
vsto crawl in
  • UK
9.6

To sleep somewhere for a short time, often on a sofa

is slower and highlights tiredness rather than temporary location

How Tired

to crawl in
  • Informal
3 3.3
to fall in the sack
  • Informal
8.8
to go to bed
485 1.0

Surface Forms

crawl in infinitive

Morphology

crawl + in

The verb 'crawl' (move slowly/close to the ground) combined with the directional particle 'in' gives a clear image of entering somewhere slowly, so a learner can infer a sense of 'entering' or 'going inside'. However, the specific conventionalized meaning 'go to bed' (often short for 'crawl into bed') depends on collocational/pragmatic knowledge and is not fully predictable from the parts alone, so it is only partially transparent to a B1 learner.

Etymology

Crawl in paints a simple picture: a very tired person crawls slowly and moves in under the bed covers to rest. So, crawl in means 'to go to bed', usually slowly because you are very tired.