What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
inching
Example
The car was inching forward in the traffic jam. [inching: verb]
Example
The company is inching closer to achieving its sales target. [inching: present participle]
crawling
Example
The baby was crawling on the floor. [crawling: verb]
Example
The traffic was crawling along the highway due to the accident. [crawling: present participle]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Crawling is more commonly used than inching in everyday language. Crawling is versatile and covers a wide range of contexts, while inching is less common and more specific to certain situations.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between inching and crawling?
Both inching and crawling are informal words and are not typically used in formal contexts.
