Slow to a Crawl – Meaning and Examples
Imagine being stuck in heavy traffic where cars are barely moving, or waiting for a website that takes forever to load. When movement, progress, or activity becomes extremely slow, almost stopping entirely, we say it slowed to a crawl. This vivid phrase is excellent for describing highly reduced speed or efficiency, often due to an obstacle or heavy demand.
What Does “Slow to a Crawl” Mean?
The phrase “slow to a crawl” means to reduce speed or pace until movement is nearly imperceptible or extremely inefficient. A “crawl” literally describes the slow movement of an infant on hands and knees. Figuratively, when something slows to a crawl, it means it is moving at the minimum possible rate, causing frustration or delay.
When to Use It
You can use slow to a crawl in contexts involving physical movement, progress, or technical performance.
- Traffic: Heavy snow caused traffic on the highway to slow to a crawl.
- Technology: Too many users logging in at once caused the network speed to slow to a crawl.
- Progress: The project funding was cut, forcing all development work to slow to a crawl.
This phrase is informal but widely used to express annoyance or difficulty caused by slowness.
Example Sentences
- The entire checkout line slowed to a crawl because the cashier’s computer froze.
- The negotiations slowed to a crawl after one party refused to compromise on the main issue.
- If you open too many programs, your laptop will eventually slow to a crawl.
- The marathon runners were exhausted by the heat, and their pace slowed to a crawl in the final miles.
Mini Dialogue
Alex: “Are you finished installing the update yet?”
Jamie: “No, the download speed slowed to a crawl about ten minutes ago. It’s taking forever.”
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Use this phrase only when the activity is almost completely stopped, not just moderately slow.
❌ Don’t: “The runner was running slowly, almost to a crawl.” (This is incorrect. Use “running very slowly.”)
✅ Do: “The factory production slowed to a crawl because of the power outage.” (This means production was nearly zero.)
Practice Tip
Think of a time when technology frustrated you. Write one sentence describing how your internet or computer slowed to a crawl.
Final Note
Using slow to a crawl vividly conveys the idea of extreme sluggishness. Practice using this phrase to describe frustrating delays with accuracy!
