# crawl with

CEFR B2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/crawl-with
Updated: 2026-10-22

## Definition

to be completely full of or covered with many moving things, like insects or people. You use this when there are so many things that the whole place seems to be moving.

For teachers: to be overrun or densely populated by a large number of moving organisms or people. This phrasal verb is intransitive and requires the preposition 'with' to introduce the agent of the crowding.

## Examples

- The kitchen floor was crawling with ants after we left the cake out.
- During the summer festival, the narrow city streets are crawling with tourists and street performers from all over the world.
- The derelict vessel was crawling with scavengers who stripped the hull of every valuable component before the authorities could secure the perimeter.

## Pitfalls

- Not "The kitchen was crawling of ants." but "The kitchen was crawling with ants." — the verb 'crawl' requires the preposition 'with' to describe being full of something.

## Usage notes

- usually follows the pattern 'place + be crawling with + things'.
- Teaching tip: contrast with 'teem with' or 'swarm with', noting that 'crawl with' often carries a slightly negative or 'creepy' connotation.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.