seeped; seeping; seeps
1
: to flow or pass slowly through fine pores or small openings : ooze
water seeped in through a crack
2
a
: to enter or penetrate slowly
fear of nuclear war had seeped into the national consciousness—
Tip O'Neill
Tip O'Neill
b
: to become diffused or spread
a sadness seeped through his being—Agnes S. Turnbull
Agnes S. Turnbull1
a
: a spot where a fluid (such as water, oil, or gas) contained in the ground oozes slowly to the surface and often forms a pool
b
: a small spring
2
: seepage
Synonyms
Examples of seep in a Sentence
Verb
Blood was seeping through the bandage.
The chemicals seeped into the ground.
Recent Examples on the WebLaura Kanya, Southern Living, 10 Sep. 2023
As pipes age, the material becomes porous, allowing water to seep out and contribute to unaccounted loss.
—Kevin Dayhoff, Baltimore Sun, 9 Sep. 2023
But by allowing hatred to seep into what should be a place of acceptance, respect, and unlimited imagination, stans are slowly echoing the worst parts of the internet— and keeping it a place where women can’t win.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2023
Advertisement This rich legacy, along with the eclectic music heard in El Monte, heavily influenced the Red Pears’ sound — their music seeps into the likes of balladry, sung along with distorted garage rock rhythms and raw instrumentation.
—Sarah Quiñones Wolfson, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2023
Named the Best Soaker option after our testing, water seeps out of the hose quickly and evenly, dispensing up to 2 gallons of water in just two minutes.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Sep. 2023
As groundwater levels drop, saltwater seeps in and fills in the gaps in the soil where freshwater used to be.
—Rachel Ramirez, CNN, 2 Sep. 2023
The warming ocean seeps underneath the ice and melts it from below.
—Sarah Kaplan, Washington Post, 29 Aug. 2023
In the expedition’s first two months, researchers recorded methane seeps and saw a Brisingid sea star at a depth of 2,803 meters (9,200 feet) that had not been documented in the Aleutians before.
—Joshua A. Bickel, Anchorage Daily News, 14 Aug. 2023
Christina Larson, Fortune, 24 Aug. 2023
Thousands of years ago, prey animals fell into the seeps, made a ruckus, and attracted predators such as the saber-tooth cat and the dire wolf.
—Matt Hrodey, Discover Magazine, 3 Aug. 2023
Natural seeps are places above petroleum reservoirs where oil slowly escapes from the earth’s surface.
—Lana Ferguson, Dallas News, 24 July 2023
The tar balls are pieces of oil clumped together that are often remnants of oil spills but can also be created from natural seeps, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
—Lana Ferguson, Dallas News, 24 July 2023
Scientists were in the area looking for a cold seep — fissures in the seafloor where gases like methane and hydrogen sulfide bubble out.
—Mark Price, Anchorage Daily News, 20 July 2023
Methane seeps, which form in sediments near shores along the coastal margins, are one of the most common cold seeps.
—Gwozniac, oregonlive, 26 Jan. 2023
It’s linked to a fault line: Scientists first mistook the leak for a cold methane seep – there are at least 1,000 methane seeps in the region.
—Gwozniac, oregonlive, 26 Jan. 2023
Sometimes soggy but mostly dry, the seep is a favorite hangout for wildlife like deer, squirrels and rabbits.
—Mare Czinar, The Arizona Republic, 11 June 2021
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Verb
Then, use a fork or wooden skewer to poke holes all around the top of the cake (but don't poke all the way through to the bottom, as this will allow the pour-over ingredient to seep out).
—Laura Kanya, Southern Living, 10 Sep. 2023
As pipes age, the material becomes porous, allowing water to seep out and contribute to unaccounted loss.
—Kevin Dayhoff, Baltimore Sun, 9 Sep. 2023
But by allowing hatred to seep into what should be a place of acceptance, respect, and unlimited imagination, stans are slowly echoing the worst parts of the internet— and keeping it a place where women can’t win.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2023
Advertisement This rich legacy, along with the eclectic music heard in El Monte, heavily influenced the Red Pears’ sound — their music seeps into the likes of balladry, sung along with distorted garage rock rhythms and raw instrumentation.
—Sarah Quiñones Wolfson, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2023
Named the Best Soaker option after our testing, water seeps out of the hose quickly and evenly, dispensing up to 2 gallons of water in just two minutes.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Sep. 2023
As groundwater levels drop, saltwater seeps in and fills in the gaps in the soil where freshwater used to be.
—Rachel Ramirez, CNN, 2 Sep. 2023
The warming ocean seeps underneath the ice and melts it from below.
—Sarah Kaplan, Washington Post, 29 Aug. 2023
In the expedition’s first two months, researchers recorded methane seeps and saw a Brisingid sea star at a depth of 2,803 meters (9,200 feet) that had not been documented in the Aleutians before.
—Joshua A. Bickel, Anchorage Daily News, 14 Aug. 2023
Noun
Only the hazy shimmer of escaping hot water meeting the frigid sea alerted the researchers to the hydrothermal seep.
—Christina Larson, Fortune, 24 Aug. 2023
Thousands of years ago, prey animals fell into the seeps, made a ruckus, and attracted predators such as the saber-tooth cat and the dire wolf.
—Matt Hrodey, Discover Magazine, 3 Aug. 2023
Natural seeps are places above petroleum reservoirs where oil slowly escapes from the earth’s surface.
—Lana Ferguson, Dallas News, 24 July 2023
The tar balls are pieces of oil clumped together that are often remnants of oil spills but can also be created from natural seeps, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
—Lana Ferguson, Dallas News, 24 July 2023
Scientists were in the area looking for a cold seep — fissures in the seafloor where gases like methane and hydrogen sulfide bubble out.
—Mark Price, Anchorage Daily News, 20 July 2023
Methane seeps, which form in sediments near shores along the coastal margins, are one of the most common cold seeps.
—Gwozniac, oregonlive, 26 Jan. 2023
It’s linked to a fault line: Scientists first mistook the leak for a cold methane seep – there are at least 1,000 methane seeps in the region.
—Gwozniac, oregonlive, 26 Jan. 2023
Sometimes soggy but mostly dry, the seep is a favorite hangout for wildlife like deer, squirrels and rabbits.
—Mare Czinar, The Arizona Republic, 11 June 2021
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'seep.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Cite this Entry
“Seep.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/seep. Accessed 27 Sep. 2023.
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Kids Definition
seep
verbˈsēp
: to flow or pass slowly through small openings : ooze
More from Merriam-Webster on seep
Nglish: Translation of seep for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of seep for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about seep
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