crease

noun \ ˈkrēs \

|Updated on: 12 Jun 2018

Definition of crease

1 : a line, mark, or ridge made by or as if by folding a pliable substance

2 : a specially marked area in various sports; especially : an area surrounding or in front of a goal (as in lacrosse or hockey)

—

creaseless

play \ˈkrēs-ləs\ adjective

See crease defined for English-language learners

See crease defined for kids

Examples of crease in a Sentence

He ironed his pants to make the creases sharp.
a crease in the paper
tiny creases at the corners of his eyes
Players from the opposing team may not enter the crease.
The batsman moved out of the crease.

Recent Examples of crease from the Web

Fans obsess about creating the perfect crease and fade lines, with some waiting months to wash their jeans.

— suryatapa bhattacharya, WSJ, "The Hottest Jeans Cost $2,000 and Are Made in Japan," 5 June 2018
Williams found the net for a fifth and final time with 4:56 to go, setting up deep in the crease and scoring off a feed from attacker Shack Stanwick (Boys’ Latin).

— jacob shames, baltimoresun.com, "Johns Hopkins rallies past Maryland, 13-10, for Big Ten men's lacrosse championship," 6 May 2018
Dadonov whizzed a puck through the crease past Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask and onto the waiting stick of Barkov.

— matthew defranks, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Jared McCann scores late as Panthers beat Bruins, stave off elimination," 6 Apr. 2018
Keller’s shot from the left circle was blocked and dribbled into the crease, where Panik slipped it under a spread-eagled Ullmark.

— azcentral, "Clayton Keller's record assists lead Coyotes past Sabres," 21 Mar. 2018
As introduced, the UX is a mix of interesting shapes, creases and folds.

— helena bachmann and nathan bomey, USA TODAY, "Breathtaking new cars, SUVs revealed at Geneva Motor Show," 9 Mar. 2018
Not when Winston is probing for creases and draining 3-pointers and doing his best to imitate Steve Nash, the former NBA MVP whose game Winston can sometimes resemble.

— shawn windsor, Detroit Free Press, "Big Ten tournament: Old labels don't apply for Michigan, Michigan State," 3 Mar. 2018
Rogue Sport construction includes several safety measures such as hood buckling creases and safety stops, rear crumple zones, energy-absorbing steering column, slide-away brake pedal assembly, and pipe-style steel side door-guard beams.

— emma jayne williams, star-telegram, "Nissan adds smaller Rogue Sport model to crossover lineup, starting at $21,420 | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 27 Jan. 2018
Then, add gold to the center for a high-watt highlight and copper through the crease and along the lower lash line for depth and dimension.

— amber kallor, Marie Claire, "5 Party-Ready Ways to Wear Metallic Makeup," 16 Nov. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'crease.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of crease

probably alteration of earlier creaste, from Middle English creste crest

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1578

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

crease Synonyms

Synonyms

crimp, crinkle, furrow, wrinkle;

crow's-foot;

Other Field and Goal Sports Terms

lateral, lax, overthrow, playbook, post, screen, scrum, secondary, ultimate

crease

verb

Definition of crease

creased; creasing

transitive verb

1 : to make a crease in or on : wrinkle

a smile creased her face

2 : to wound slightly especially by grazing

creased by a bullet

intransitive verb

: to become creased

—

creaser

noun

See crease defined for English-language learners

Examples of crease in a Sentence

a neatly creased pair of pants
The pages of the book were stained and creased.
She looked up, her face creasing into a smile.

Recent Examples of crease from the Web

Finding an undereye concealer that checks all the boxes — looks invisible on, doesn't crease, remains flawless all day — might feel like an impossible task.

— kaleigh fasanella, Allure, "The 11 Best Hydrating Undereye Concealers for Dry Skin," 11 May 2018
The Eagles rallied from two goals down with less than six minutes left to win on Megan Whittle’s crease roll with 1:18 left.

— katherine dunn, baltimoresun.com, "Some close calls during McDonogh's 195-game winning streak in girls lacrosse," 30 Apr. 2018
Robert Lowell’s never allowed him onto her lap for fear of creasing her dress.

— The Economist, "Reflections on motherhood, without the apple pie," 19 Apr. 2018
There’s something to be said about the quality of the stuff: The creamy textures that never crease, the rich pigments, and the glossy, display-worthy packaging are all part of the irresistible experience of owning prestige cosmetics.

— glamour beauty editors, Glamour, "The Best New Makeup of 2018," 19 Mar. 2018
Call me melodramatic, but shelling out for a few coats of polish that inevitably crack or crease no less than one day later puts me in a state of minor emotional anguish.

— samantha sasso, refinery29.com, "The Chip-Proof Nail Polish You'll Want To Wear All Spring," 12 Mar. 2018
Keep scrolling to find out how to give your cut creases a Valentine's Day twist, or simply switch up your liquid-lipstick look. 1.

— devon abelman, Allure, "7 Creative Ways to Wear Heart Makeup Without Looking Like a Walking Valentine," 8 Feb. 2018
Wayne Simmonds appeared to be in the goalie crease as the puck went in the net.

— george sipple, Detroit Free Press, "Red Wings' Jeff Blashill disagrees with Flyers' 2nd goal, not OT winner," 24 Jan. 2018
The volufiline and polylatcic acid helps fill in fine lines so my makeup applies without creasing.

— kathleen hou, The Cut, "How I Used Korean Skin Care to Treat My Eczema," 16 Feb. 2018

First Known Use of crease

1588

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

crease Synonyms

Synonyms

crinkle, furrow, rumple, wrinkle;

Related Words

collapse, crumple, double, fold;

CREASE Defined for English Language Learners

crease

noun

Definition of crease for English Language Learners

: a line or mark made by folding, pressing, or crushing something (such as cloth or a piece of paper)
: a line or fold in someone's skin
the crease : an area around or in front of a goal in some games (such as hockey)

crease

verb

Definition of crease for English Language Learners

: to fold, press, or crush (something, such as cloth or a piece of paper) so that a line or mark is formed : to put a crease in (something)
: to make a line or fold in (someone's skin)