creek

noun \ ˈkrēk , ˈkrik \

|Updated on: 6 Aug 2018

Examples: creek in a Sentence

Definition of creek

1 chiefly British : a small inlet or bay narrower and extending farther inland than a cove

2 : a natural stream of water normally smaller than and often tributary to a river

3 archaic : a narrow or winding passage

— up the creek

: in a difficult or perplexing situation

See creek defined for English-language learners

See creek defined for kids

Examples of creek in a Sentence

The children waded in the creek.
The coast is dotted with tiny creeks.

Recent Examples of creek from the Web

Linder's new furry friend was let go near a creek where he was seen running into the woods.

— taylor jade powell, Cincinnati.com, "3 headlines: Cincy's most expensive home, Chucky the groundhog and zoo animals keep cool," 3 July 2018
The soil and surrounding creeks/streams and rivers are already at capacity, so expect minor to moderate flooding for the remainder of today.

— greg porter, Washington Post, "PM Update: Heavy rain with localized flooding persists through the evening. Gorgeous weather on Monday.," 3 June 2018
According to villager accounts shared with Amnesty, the militants blindfolded and robbed the Hindus, marched them to a creek and executed most of them by weapons including knives and iron rods.

— jon emont, WSJ, "Rohingya Militants Massacred Civilians in Myanmar: Amnesty Report," 22 May 2018
Then on Saturday, his 343-yard drive tailed left near the creek.

— jonathan jones, SI.com, "Jason Day Captures the Wells Fargo Championship, Sets His Sights on a Return to No. 1," 6 May 2018
The ensuing debris flows overwhelmed Montecito's creeks and buried the town, killing at least 21 people and destroying more than 100 homes.

— joseph serna, latimes.com, "Biggest storm of the season could bring more devastation to California burn areas," 20 Mar. 2018
Under the terms of the monument’s creation, grazing is permitted, at least where the Bureau of Land Management thinks cattle won’t trample hillsides or pollute creeks.

— kurtis alexander, San Francisco Chronicle, "Along California-Oregon border, debate over protected lands is clash of values," 4 Mar. 2018
Some were not keeping up with the rising waters fed by local waterways such as Beargrass and Pond creeks.

— phillip m. bailey, The Courier-Journal, "Louisville flood protection funding faces choppy waters. See how Metro Council may vote," 1 Mar. 2018
On Tuesday, the block closest to the creek was filled with mud and downed trees.

— james rainey, NBC News, "Luxury Montecito caught off guard by river of mud and debris in California floods," 9 Jan. 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of creek

Middle English crike, creke, from Old Norse -kriki bend

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

creek Synonyms

Synonyms

brook, brooklet, rill, rivulet, run [chiefly Midland], streamlet;

Related Words

arroyo, fresh, freshet, runoff;

bayou, coulee, slough (also slew), stream, wash;

canal, channel, cut, cutoff, gut, kill, millrace, millstream, race, watercourse, waterway;

affluent, branch, confluent, distributary, influent, tributary;

Other Geology Terms

anthracite, boulder, cwm, erratic, igneous, intrusive, mesa, sedimentary, silt, swale

Creek

noun \ ˈkrēk \

Definition of Creek

1 : an American Indian confederacy of peoples chiefly of Muskogean stock of Alabama, Georgia, and Florida

2 : a member of any of the Creek peoples

3 : the Muskogean language of the Creek Indians

See Creek defined for kids

First Known Use of creek

1725

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

CREEK Defined for English Language Learners

creek

noun

Definition of creek for English Language Learners

: a small stream

CREEK Defined for Kids

creek

noun \ ˈkrēk , ˈkrik \

Definition of creek for Students

: a stream of water usually larger than a brook and smaller than a river

Creek

noun \ ˈkrēk \

Definition of Creek for Students

1 : a confederacy of American Indian people once occupying most of Alabama and Georgia

2 : the language of the Creek people

Learn More about creek

See words that rhyme with creek Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for creek Spanish Central: Translation of creek Nglish: Translation of creek for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of creek for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about creek

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up creek? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

creek

Definition of creek

Examples of creek in a Sentence

Recent Examples of creek from the Web

Origin and Etymology of creek

creek Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Other Geology Terms

Creek

Definition of Creek

First Known Use of creek

CREEK Defined for English Language Learners

creek

Definition of creek for English Language Learners

CREEK Defined for Kids

creek

Definition of creek for Students

Creek

Definition of Creek for Students

Learn More about creek

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

The Good, The Bad, & The Semantically Imprecise - 8/17/2018

Difficult Spelling Words Quiz

9 Words for Places People Call "Home"

Trending: Brennan: Trump's Claims are 'Hogwash'

Ghost Word