There really aren’t very many true synonyms. There are words which share nuances, but most words have their own meaning. For example, ‘She ____ onto the horse’. Fill in the blank with:
Jumped, leaped, hopped, bounded, sprang, vaulted
Each one leads to a slightly different picture of motion, doesn’t it? The levels of effort and urgency vary, don’t they?
How about walk, saunter, tramp, stroll, amble, traipse. They all give different impressions of purpose and pace, right?
Stalk, trudge, prowl, and plod? Each word portrays a different mood.
Moral for your story? Choose the right word – the one word—that means what you want to say.