crawling

British

/ ˈkrɔːlɪŋ /

noun

a defect in freshly applied paint or varnish characterized by bare patches and ridging

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

Oceans were filled with fish, while land was home to amphibians, early reptiles, crawling arthropods, and even giant cockroaches.

From Science Daily • Apr. 25, 2026

“Our tables are perfect for children and dogs, or anyone else crawling around on the floor,” Blackman says, laughing.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

Alex Patterson sees insects crawling on food, characters from sci-fi films, and on one memorable occasion, a tiger walking down Royal Avenue in Belfast.

From BBC • Mar. 7, 2026

While the motives that drive a knight are often human, political, or both, the logic is as miraculous and irrational as a muddy hedge knight crawling out from under a fallen dragon.

From Salon • Feb. 25, 2026

His stomach felt like there were ants crawling around his intestines.

From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023