crawl
verb (used without object)
to move in a prone position with the body resting on or close to the ground, as a worm or caterpillar, or on the hands and knees, as a young child.
crawled
-
past participleof crawl.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
-
past tense formof crawl.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
crawlverb (used without object)to move in a prone position with the body resting on or close to the ground, as a worm or caterpillar, or on the hands and knees, as a young child.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The hiker crawled through the night, down the remainder of Avalanche Gulch to Horse Camp Cabin, at one point removing his boots due to painful swelling, the agency said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026
I saw a utility van and crawled underneath, but by then the cloud had engulfed everything.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026
“Well, we didn’t walk out of it. We crawled out of it, but we did get out of it alive.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
Roa and his companions initially crawled and then cut a hole to reach the site.
From Barron's ● Jul. 4, 2026
Then they crawled up into the right-hand passage.
From "Rowan of Rin" by Emily Rodda
