How do you use the word "crawl" in a sentence?

Here are real-life examples of using "crawl": The baby began to crawl. Can you do the crawl?

Crawl Meaning

/kɹɔːl/

Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.

Definition

verbTo creep; to move slowly on hands and knees, or by dragging the body along the ground.

verbTo 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.

Sentence Examples

The baby began to crawl.

Can you do the crawl?

Our baby is just starting to crawl.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms:

creep

Antonyms:

None

CEFR Practice Quiz

The baby began to ____ across the soft carpet toward the toy.

CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)

The baby began to ____.

Word Origin & History

From Middle English crawlen, crewlen, creulen, crallen, *cravelen, from Old Norse krafla (compare Danish kravle (“to crawl, creep”), Swedish kravla, kräla (“to creep, crawl”)), from Proto-Germanic *krablōną (compare Saterland Frisian krabbelje, Dutch krabbelen, German Low German krabbeln, German krabbeln), frequentative of *krabbōną (“to scratch, scrape”). Compare also Saterland Frisian krauelje (“to crawl, scuttle”), West Frisian kreauwelje (“to crawl”), Dutch krevelen, krieuwelen (“to crawl”), German Low German kribbeln, German kribbeln (“to creep, crawl, tingle”). See also crab, crabble.

Literary Quotations & Historical Citations

"A VVorm finds vvhat it ſearches after, only by Feeling, as it cravvls from one thing to another. VVhereas a Man, having Eyes, ſees it in a Moment, all before him." — 1701, Nehemiah Grew, “Of Celestial Mind”, in Cosmologia Sacra: Or A Discourse of the Universe as It is the Creature and Kingdom of God. […], London: […] W[illiam] Rogers, S[amuel] Smith, and B[enjamin] Walford: […], →OCLC, 2nd book, paragraph 32, page 83:

"'Children crawled over each other like little grey worms in the gutters,' he said. 'The only red things about them were their buttocks and they were raw. Their faces looked as if snails had slimed on them and their mothers were like great sick beasts whose byres had never been cleared.[…]'" — 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter VII, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:

"[…] and catching hold with his hand upon the rough cragges, […] he crawled up to the toppe thereof" — 1603, Philemon Holland, The Philosophie, commonlie called, The Morals written by the learned Philoſopher Plutarch of Chæronea:

"Our hard-ruled king. Again, there is sprung up. An heretic, an arch one, Cranmer; one. Hath crawled into the favour of the king" — 1613 (date written), William Shakespeare, [John Fletcher], “The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eight”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:

"His Slav features regarded me with the wooden indifference he would have shown to an insect crawling the wall." — 1944 August 26, Blue Book magazine:

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