crawl Definition
- 1to move forward on hands and knees or by dragging the body close to the ground
- 2to advance slowly and with difficulty
- 3to be covered with insects that move slowly
Using crawl: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "crawl" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
The baby is learning to crawl.
Example
The traffic was crawling along the highway.
Example
The wounded soldier tried to crawl to safety.
Example
The walls were crawling with ants.
crawl Synonyms and Antonyms
Phrases with crawl
Example
You can't expect to run a marathon if you haven't even learned to crawl before you walk.
to appear suddenly and unexpectedly, often after having been hidden or inactive for a long time
Example
After the company announced its new product, critics began to crawl out of the woodwork to voice their concerns.
Example
The thought of eating raw meat makes my skin crawl.
Origins of crawl
from Old Norse 'krafla', meaning 'to claw'
Summary: crawl in Brief
To 'crawl' [krɔːl] means to move forward on hands and knees or by dragging the body close to the ground, or to advance slowly and with difficulty. It can also refer to being covered with insects that move slowly. Examples include 'The baby is learning to crawl,' and 'The walls were crawling with ants.' Phrases like 'crawl before you walk' suggest learning in stages, while 'make one's skin crawl' denotes intense disgust or fear.
