the creeps

plural noun

informal
: an uncomfortable feeling of nervousness or fear
I get the creeps every time he walks by.
I hate snakes. They give me the creeps.

Examples of the creeps in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Here's something that'll give you the creeps ― bed bugs are on the rise in Milwaukee. Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 11 June 2024 The rice itself looked tasty enough—fluffy, well formed—but its oddly fleshy hue gave me the creeps. Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 8 Mar. 2024 Give your guests the creeps by riddling your wreath with spiders and cobwebs or centering it with a skull. Sophie Flaxman, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Oct. 2023 At the 115-year-old Niles Hotel — where ancient bullet holes pock the tin ceiling by the downstairs saloon — getting the creeps is part of the appeal. Hailey Branson-Potts, Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2023 The subject of their dispute: Edgar Allan Poe, a horror writer whose short stories were giving Americans the creeps from coast to coast. Mary Ann Gwinn, Los Angeles Times, 30 Nov. 2022 Basements give her the creeps; plus, a property manager told her the floor had been torn up. jsonline.com, 16 Nov. 2022 Give neighbors the creeps with this feline trio, which stay put with heavy-duty metal stakes. Larry Stansbury, Good Housekeeping, 28 Sep. 2022 Despite giving some individuals the creeps, arachnids are pest control professionals. Elizabeth Gamillo, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Apr. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'the creeps.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Dictionary Entries Near the creeps

Cite this Entry

“The creeps.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20creeps. Accessed 15 Oct. 2024.

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