to move forward on hands and knees or by dragging the body close to the ground, to advance slowly and with difficulty, to be covered with insects that move slowly

crawl before you walk, crawl out of the woodwork, make one's skin crawl

Formal and Informal Expressions of crawl

In different contexts, you can replace 'crawl' with suitable alternatives. In a more formal setting, 'creep, move slowly' is apt. In informal speech or writing, 'drag oneself, slog' is a commonplace synonym.

crawl: Explore its Definition & Usage

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

Synonyms for crawl

Antonyms for crawl

Phrases with crawl

crawl before you walk
to learn to do something in stages, starting with the easiest parts first
Example
You can't expect to run a marathon if you haven't even learned to crawl before you walk.
crawl out of the woodwork
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.
make one's skin crawl
to cause someone to feel intense disgust or fear
Example
The thought of eating raw meat makes my skin crawl.

Origins of crawl

from Old Norse 'krafla', meaning 'to claw'

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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.