Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Moving sideways or obliquely: Describes movement that is not straight forward or backward, but at an angle, typically in a manner resembling the sideways scuttle of a crab.
   • Indirect or not straightforward: Can describe an approach or progression that is not direct or head-on.

Usage

• The primary use of "crabwise" is as an adjective to modify a noun related to movement or progression. It is often used with verbs like "move," "advance," or "proceed."
• It is a somewhat literary or descriptive term, not common in everyday casual conversation.

Examples

• Adjective:
  • The strong winds forced the sailboat to make a crabwise approach to the dock.
  • The negotiations progressed in a crabwise manner, with small, indirect steps.
  • He edged crabwise along the narrow ledge to safety.

Advanced Usage

• "to move crabwise": to move sideways or obliquely.
  • The car, with a flat tire, could only move crabwise down the road.
• "a crabwise advance": a slow, indirect, or sideways advance.
  • The army's crabwise advance through the marsh avoided the main enemy defenses.

Variants and Related Words

• Sideways (adv/adj): To, towards, or from the side. (More common and general than "crabwise.")
• Obliquely (adv): Not in a direct way; at an angle. (Often used for lines or figurative approaches.)
• Laterally (adv): Relating to the side; sideways. (More technical.)

Synonyms

• Sideways
• Oblique
• Sidling
• Edgeways

Antonyms

• Direct
• Straight
• Head-on
• Forward

Related Phrases/Idioms

• "In a crabwise fashion/manner": This phrase is used to describe how an action is performed.
  • She gained his trust in a crabwise fashion, never asking for too much at once.
• While not a phrasal verb, the adverbial phrase "crabwise" itself often functions similarly to describe the manner of movement.
  • The suspect shuffled crabwise away from the police car.

Adjective

1. (of movement) at an angle