Movements: English Vocabulary List

(of a river, trail, etc.) to follow along a curvy or indirect path

"The river meanders through the valley."

"The small stream meandered slowly through the green valley creating a peaceful and relaxing sound as the water flowed gently over the smooth rocks."

to run faster than a walk but slower than a full sprint

"The horse trotted around the ring."

"The little pony began to trot happily around the field when it saw its owner approaching with a bucket full of fresh sweet carrots."

to move quickly and with short, hasty steps

"Crabs scuttle along the beach sand."

"The tiny crab scuttled sideways across the sandy beach to hide under a large rock when it saw a seagull flying overhead."

to move swiftly and abruptly in a particular direction

"The mouse darted into its hole."

"The lizard quickly darted into a crack in the wall to escape from the hungry cat that had been stalking it for several minutes."

to pull something or someone along the ground, usually with difficulty

"He hauled the heavy box upstairs."

"The workers had to haul the heavy boxes up three flights of stairs because the building did not have a working elevator."

to move in a loose, uncontrolled, or erratic manner

"The fish flopped on the deck."

"The exhausted swimmer climbed out of the pool and flopped down onto a lounge chair to rest his tired muscles for a while."

to move or run away quickly and unexpectedly

"The horse bolted away."

"Startled by the loud noise, the deer suddenly bolted from the forest and disappeared into the open field."

to move rapidly

"He zipped past me."

"The young cyclist zipped down the hill, his speed increasing with every rotation of the pedals as he raced his friends."

to move quickly and lightly in a particular direction or manner

"She will whisk past."

"The magician's assistant seemed to whisk away the rabbit from the hat in a blur."

to move swiftly in a specified direction, leaving a visible trail or mark

"A meteor streaked across the night sky."

"A bright meteor streaked across the night sky and disappeared behind the mountains before anyone could make a wish or take a photograph."

to get stuck in mud or wet ground, preventing movement

"The car bogged down."

"The heavy rain had turned the unpaved road into a muddy mess, causing several vehicles to bog down and require towing."