MEANING
To move quickly with short, hurried steps, often close to the ground.
Use it for
Insectlike movement; low rapid pursuit; a body vanishing under coverSpecify the short-step motion rather than just saying something moved fast.
Words that belong together
- scuttle across the floor
- scuttling legs
- scuttle into hiding
On the page
The creature scuttled beneath the bed.
The many-legged larva scuttled across the inside of the jar.
He saw a shape scuttle away on far too many feet.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- scuttle / scuttles
- Past tense
- scuttled
- Past participle
- scuttled
- Present participle
- scuttling
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- scuttle / scuttles
- Present continuous
- am/is/are scuttling
- Present perfect
- have/has scuttled
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been scuttling
- Past
- scuttled
- Past continuous
- was/were scuttling
- Past perfect
- had scuttled
- Past perfect continuous
- had been scuttling
- Future
- will scuttle / scuttles
- Future continuous
- will be scuttling
- Future perfect
- will have scuttled
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been scuttling
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: horror. Often used of small animals or furtive people. A separate verb sense means deliberately sink a ship or abandon a plan; context controls the reading. Verb [base, third-person present, past, past participle, -ing]: scuttle, scuttles, scuttled, scuttled, scuttling.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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