Crawl Definition and Meaning
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Published on December 17, 2025
Crawl refers to moving slowly on hands and knees or by dragging the body close to the ground. e.g., The baby learned to crawl before walking.
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Crawl Definitions
To progress very slowly due to congestion or obstruction.
Traffic started to crawl during rush hour.
A slow swimming stroke consisting of alternating overarm strokes and a flutter kick.
He perfected his crawl in preparation for the swimming competition.
To visit multiple establishments or locations in succession, often for drinking.
They planned a pub crawl for his birthday.
To search and collect information systematically from the internet.
The search engine bots crawl web pages to index them.
To behave obsequiously or ingratiatingly in hope of gaining favor.
He didn't want to crawl to his boss for a promotion.
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To move or grow along a surface, spreading outwards.
Ivy began to crawl up the side of the house.
To carefully explore or investigate an area.
Detectives had to crawl the neighborhood for clues.
To move slowly on the hands and knees or by dragging the body along the ground; creep
The baby crawled across the floor.
To advance slowly, feebly, laboriously, or with frequent stops
We crawled along in traffic until we reached the highway.
To proceed or act servilely
"She was going to come crawling back to me, eloquently detailing exactly how sorry she was" (Emily Griffin).
To be or feel as if swarming or covered with moving things
The accident scene was crawling with police officers. My flesh crawled in horror.
To swim the crawl.
The action of moving slowly on the hands or knees or dragging the body along the ground.
An extremely slow pace
Traffic was moving at a crawl.
(Sports) A rapid swimming stroke consisting of alternating overarm strokes and a flutter kick.
A set of letters or figures that move across, up, or down a movie or television screen, usually giving information, such as film credits or weather alerts. Also called crawler.
A social activity that consists of going to a series of related establishments one after the other
A bar crawl.
A museum crawl.
A pen in shallow water, as for confining fish or turtles.
(intransitive) To creep; to move slowly on hands and knees, or by dragging the body along the ground.
Clutching my wounded side, I crawled back to the trench.
(intransitive) To move forward slowly, with frequent stops.
The rush-hour traffic crawled around the bypass.
(intransitive) To act in a servile manner.
Don’t come crawling to me with your useless apologies!
(intransitive) Followed by with: see crawl with.
(intransitive) To feel a swarming sensation.
The horrible sight made my skin crawl.
To swim using the crawl stroke.
I think I’ll crawl the next hundred metres.
(transitive) To move over (an area) on hands and knees.
The baby crawled the entire second floor.
(transitive) To move over (an area) slowly, with frequent stops.
They crawled the downtown bars.
To visit files or web sites in order to index them for searching.
Yahoo Search has updated its Slurp Crawler to crawl websites faster and more efficiently.
The act of moving slowly on hands and knees, etc.
The act of sequentially visiting a series of similar establishments (i.e., a bar crawl).
A rapid swimming stroke with alternate overarm strokes and a fluttering kick.
(figurative) A very slow pace.
My computer has slowed down to a crawl since I installed that software package.
A piece of horizontally or vertically scrolling text overlaid on the main image.
A pen or enclosure of stakes and hurdles for holding fish.
To move slowly by drawing the body along the ground, as a worm; to move slowly on hands and knees; to creep.
A worm finds what it searches after only by feeling, as it crawls from one thing to another.
To move or advance in a feeble, slow, or timorous manner.
He was hardly able to crawl about the room.
The meanest thing that crawl'd beneath my eyes.
To advance slowly and furtively; to insinuate one's self; to advance or gain influence by servile or obsequious conduct.
Secretly crawling up the battered walls.
Hath crawled into the favor of the king.
Absurd opinions crawl about the world.
The act or motion of crawling; slow motion, as of a creeping animal.
A pen or inclosure of stakes and hurdles on the seacoast, for holding fish.
A very slow movement;
The traffic advanced at a crawl
A swimming stroke; arms are moved alternately overhead accompanied by a flutter kick
A slow creeping mode of locomotion (on hands and knees or dragging the body);
A crawl was all that the injured man could manage
The traffic moved at a creep
Move slowly; in the case of people or animals with the body near the ground;
The crocodile was crawling along the riverbed
Feel as if crawling with insects;
My skin crawled--I was terrified
Be crawling with;
The old cheese was crawling with maggots
Show submission or fear
Swim by doing the crawl;
European children learn the breast stroke; they often don't know how to crawl
To move on hands and knees or by dragging the body along the ground.
The soldier had to crawl under the barbed wire during training.
To feel an uncomfortable tingling or itchy sensation on the skin, as if covered by crawling insects.
The thought of spiders made her skin crawl.
To be crowded or infested with moving things, like insects.
The abandoned room was crawling with cockroaches.
Crawl Snonyms
Inch
To move slowly and carefully, little by little.
He inched forward in the traffic, eager to get home.
Slither
To move smoothly over a surface with a twisting or oscillating motion.
The snake slithered across the hot sand.
Skulk
To move stealthily or furtively.
The thief skulked in the shadows, avoiding the light.
Sneak
To move quietly and secretly in order to avoid being noticed.
She sneaked out of the house to meet her friends.
Glide
To move smoothly and continuously along, as if without effort or resistance.
The dancers seemed to glide across the dance floor.
Prowl
To move about or wander stealthily in or as if in search of prey.
The lion prowled through the grass, looking for its next meal.
Creep
To move slowly and quietly close to the ground.
The cat creeped towards its prey in the garden.
Scurry
To move hurriedly with short, quick steps.
The mice scurried away when the lights were turned on.
Shuffle
To walk by dragging one's feet along or without lifting them fully from the ground.
He shuffled his feet in embarrassment.
Clamber
To climb awkwardly or with difficulty, especially using both hands and feet.
The children clambered over the rocks at the beach.
Crawl Idioms & Phrases
Crawl back to someone
To return to someone humbly after a failure or rejection.
After the argument, he had to crawl back to her to apologize.
Crawl out of the woodwork
For people to emerge from obscurity or come forward, usually in the context of offering criticism or revealing information.
Critics crawled out of the woodwork when the movie was released.
Crawl before you walk
To learn the basics before attempting something more difficult.
You have to crawl before you walk when it comes to mastering a new skill.
Make one's skin crawl
To cause someone to feel fear, revulsion, or disgust.
The eerie noise in the dark house made her skin crawl.
Crawl Example Sentences
The feeling of anticipation made her skin crawl.
The cave was difficult to navigate, requiring them to crawl through tight spaces.
Search engines crawl websites to gather information.
The baby began to crawl around the living room.
They participated in a charity pub crawl downtown.
They set up a crawl space for extra storage under the house.
He had to crawl back to his job after his business failed.
The room was so low they had to crawl on all fours to get through.
The discussion made the topic of privacy crawl into the spotlight.
Common Curiosities
What is a stressed syllable in crawl?
In "crawl," the one syllable it has is stressed.
Why is it called crawl?
Crawl is called so because it mimics the slow, close-to-the-ground movement characteristic of infants and certain animals, deriving from the Old Norse word "krafla," meaning to claw oneself forward.
How do we divide crawl into syllables?
Crawl is a single-syllable word and is not divided.
What is the root word of crawl?
The root of "crawl" comes from the Old Norse "krafla," which means to claw oneself forward.
How is crawl used in a sentence?
Crawl is used as a verb, e.g., The turtle can crawl faster than you think.
What is the verb form of crawl?
The verb form is "to crawl," indicating the action of moving slowly on hands and knees or close to the ground.
What is the first form of crawl?
The first form is "crawl," indicating the present tense.
How many syllables are in crawl?
There is one syllable in "crawl."
What is the second form of crawl?
The second form is "crawled," indicating the past tense.
What is another term for crawl?
Another term for crawl is "creep."
What is the plural form of crawl?
The verb "crawl" does not change form in the plural; it is used based on the subject. However, as a noun referring to events like a "bar crawl," the plural is "crawls."
Is crawl a vowel or consonant?
The word "crawl" starts with a consonant.
Is the crawl term a metaphor?
"Crawl" can be used metaphorically to describe slow progress or movement in various contexts.
Is the word crawl imperative?
Yes, "crawl" can be used in the imperative form, giving a command or instruction.
What is the pronunciation of crawl?
Crawl is pronounced as /krɔːl/.
What is the singular form of crawl?
The singular form is "crawls," as in "He/She/It crawls."
Is crawl an abstract noun?
No, crawl is a concrete verb and sometimes a noun, referring to specific types of movement or events.
Is the word crawl Gerund?
Yes, "crawling" is the gerund form of the verb "to crawl."
What is the third form of crawl?
The third form is "crawled," used as the past participle in perfect tenses.
What is the opposite of crawl?
The opposite of crawl could be "run" or "sprint," indicating much faster movement.
Is crawl an adverb?
No, crawl is not an adverb.
What part of speech is crawl?
Crawl is a verb.
Is crawl a negative or positive word?
Crawl is neutral; its connotation depends on the context in which it is used.
Is crawl a countable noun?
As a noun, "crawl" can be countable when referring to specific events (e.g., "bar crawls").
Is crawl a collective noun?
No, crawl is not typically used as a collective noun.
Is the word “crawl” a Direct object or an Indirect object?
In a sentence, "crawl" functions as the verb, so it doesn't serve as a direct or indirect object. However, the action of crawling can have a direct object in some contexts, e.g., "He crawls the distance."
Which determiner is used with crawl?
Determiners are not typically used directly with the verb "crawl." However, with "crawl" used as a noun, determiners like "the" or "a" can be used, e.g., "The crawl was exhausting."
Which preposition is used with crawl?
Prepositions such as "through," "into," and "across" are commonly used with "crawl," e.g., "crawl through a tunnel."
Which article is used with crawl?
As a noun, "crawl" can be preceded by the articles "a" or "the," depending on the context.
Is crawl a noun or adjective?
Crawl is primarily a verb but can also be used as a noun in contexts like "a crawl" referring to an event or movement style.
Which vowel is used before crawl?
The question is not applicable as "crawl" is a verb and doesn't follow a vowel or consonant rule for articles.
Which conjunction is used with crawl?
Conjunctions like "and" or "but" can be used in sentences involving "crawl," depending on the sentence structure.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
