claw your way (somewhere)
to move forwards with difficulty, especially by using stiff curved fingers to remove the things that are in your way:
The rescuers could hear the sound of the trapped people desperately trying to claw their way through the rubble.
figurative Sidney ruthlessly clawed his way (up) from the position of junior clerk to chairman of the company (= he achieved success with effort and by hurting other people).
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Moving on your hands and legs or on your stomach
- clamber
- claw
- crawl
- four
- grovel
- on all fours idiom
- pull
- scramble
- slither
- wriggle
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Slow and moving slowly