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.

Another dealt with someone breaking up with them to get back with their ex, only to come crawling back.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

Greta Schlender, 41, senior product manager: We’re doing Army crawling on the beach.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

Alex also sees insects crawling over food - but he has learned techniques, like blinking, looking away, breathing.

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

“That sounds like a good title for a Star Wars movie. Come on, you guys. We’ve got some right-right, left-left turning and belly crawling to do!”

From "The Smartest Kid in the Universe" by Chris Grabenstein

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