crawl

/kɹɔːl/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: crawls · crawling · crawled

Sense 1

Meaning · English

To move by dragging one's body along or close to a surface, like a worm or insect, or on one's hands and knees, like a human baby.

Verb

Examples

Clutching my wounded side, I crawled back to the trench.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

To move or progress slowly or laboriously, or with great difficulty (for example due to feebleness) or frequent stops.

Verb

Examples

The rush-hour traffic crawled around the bypass.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Meaning · English

The act of moving slowly on hands and knees, etc.

Noun

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 4

Meaning · English

The act of sequentially visiting a series of similar establishments (i.e., a bar crawl).

Noun

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “crawl” mean?

To move by dragging one's body along or close to a surface, like a worm or insect, or on one's hands and knees, like a human baby.

Is “crawl” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.