What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
crawling
Example
The baby is crawling towards the toy. [crawling: verb]
Example
The spider was crawling across the floor. [crawling: present participle]
creeping
Example
The cat was creeping up on the mouse. [creeping: present participle]
Example
The ivy was creeping along the wall. [creeping: present participle]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Crawling is more commonly used than creeping in everyday language, especially when describing the movement of babies or insects. Creeping is less common but is still used to describe slow and cautious movement.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between crawling and creeping?
Both crawling and creeping are informal words and are not typically used in formal contexts.
