What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
crawl
Example
The baby crawled across the room to reach his toy. [crawl: verb]
Example
The injured dog was crawling towards the water bowl. [crawling: gerund or present participle]
slither
Example
The snake slithered across the grass and disappeared into the bushes. [slither: verb]
Example
The thief slithered through the window and stole the jewels. [slithering: gerund or present participle]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Crawl is more commonly used than slither in everyday language. Crawl is versatile and covers a wide range of contexts, while slither is less common and has a more specific association with snakes or other reptiles.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between crawl and slither?
While crawl is typically associated with a casual and informal tone, slither is more formal and may be used in scientific or technical contexts to describe the movement of snakes or other reptiles.