creek

noun \ ˈkrēk , ˈkrik \

|Updated on: 11 Jun 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

Kids’ stuff: The kids’ area in Cedar Creek Park has pony rides, a petting zoo, bounce houses, clowns and rubber ducky races in the creek.

— nancy stohs, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "6 food festivals that offer a glimpse of Wisconsin specialties and local culture," 6 June 2018
In November 2017, a pit bull was found submerged in a creek in Orange Park, Florida, a suburb of Jacksonville.

— madeleine marr, miamiherald, "A dead pit bull was found underwater, still in its cage. The tomb held clues, cops say.," 4 June 2018
Swift water in mill creek causes damages and sweeps debris in Old Fort, North Carolina.

— andrew carter and bruce henderson, charlotteobserver, "NC dropped program to map landslide hazards. Could it have prevented the latest deaths?," 31 May 2018
The chemical in the creek can cause skin irritation or nausea, vomiting and diarrhea if ingested.

— sarah riley, The Courier-Journal, "Chemical from portable toilets kills fish in Yellow Fork Creek," 22 May 2018
Police had been pressed about the possibility of a killer targeting transgender women after the body of an unidentified black transgender woman was found floating in a creek four days after Flores Pavón's killing.

— richie duchon /, NBC News, "Police make arrest in killing of transgender woman in Dallas," 17 May 2018
Tony can’t recall who told him that Steven’s 73-pound body was found in the creek the following day.

— chris graves, Cincinnati.com, "Pike County: Death in the foothills," 15 May 2018
As a township newcomer, she was shocked by the amount of water bottles and trash in the creek.

— kevin riordan, Philly.com, "She's the bag monster from New Jersey and she wants you to quit plastic. So do I," 14 May 2018
That’s when investigators found the naked body of his then-girlfriend, 19-year-old college student Kim Allen, in a creek eight miles south of Santa Rosa.

— kevin fagan, San Francisco Chronicle, "DNA research in Golden State Killer case spurs hope in unsolved killings," 5 May 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

If the Shoe Fits

On the Disruption of 'Disrupt'

Trending: 'Asylum' Trends as Policies Draw Attention

Name More Food!

Ghost Word