crawl
1 of 2verb/krɔl/
Forms:crawls,crawling,crawled,crawled
1
to move slowly with the body near the ground or on the hands and knees
B2- The baby began to crawl across the living room floor.
- As the hikers reached the steep slope, they had to crawl on their hands and knees to navigate the challenging terrain.
- In the dense underbrush, the jungle explorer needed to crawl to avoid entangling vines and thick foliage.
- The soldier advanced cautiously, choosing to crawl through the muddy trench to avoid being seen by the enemy.
- The cat stalked its prey and then began to crawl silently through the grass.
Synonyms:
2
to experience a sensation as if one's skin is covered or infested with crawling insects
- The eerie sensation of the abandoned house made Tom's skin crawl.
- The thought of spiders in the attic made Mike's skin crawl, and he hesitated before entering the confined space.
- The haunted house had an atmosphere that made visitors' flesh crawl
3
to swim using the crawl stroke, a swimming technique characterized by a continuous fluttering motion of the legs and alternating arm strokes
- Eager to improve her swimming skills, Sarah decided to enroll in a class to learn how to crawl efficiently.
- During the swim meet, the experienced swimmer effortlessly crawled through the water.
- The coach emphasized the importance of proper breathing technique while teaching the beginners how to crawl.
- As part of the swim curriculum, the swimming instructor taught the children how to crawl.
4
to behave or act in a servile or subservient manner, often with excessive flattery
- The ambitious intern hoped to climb the corporate ladder quickly, so they resorted to crawling to their superiors.
- The politician, wanting to secure votes, would crawl to the influential constituents.
- The scheming character in the office was known for their ability to crawl to those in power.
- During the job interview, the candidate chose to crawl by praising the company excessively.
- In an attempt to gain favor with the boss, the employee decided to crawl by constantly agreeing with every suggestion.
5
(of a vehicle or its driver) to move very slowly, often in heavy traffic or difficult conditions
- The car was crawling through the traffic jam.
- The vehicle crawled up the steep hill.
- The bus was crawling through the city at rush hour.
- We crawled for miles before finally reaching the exit.
- The car was crawling at a snail's pace during the snowstorm.