seep

verb

\ ˈsēp

seeped; seeping; seeps

Definition of seep

(Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

1 : to flow or pass slowly through fine pores or small openings : ooze water seeped in through a crack

2a : to enter or penetrate slowly fear of nuclear war had seeped into the national consciousness— Tip O'Neill

b : to become diffused or spread a sadness seeped through his being— Agnes S. Turnbull

seep

noun

Definition of seep (Entry 2 of 2)

1a : 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

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Examples of seep in a Sentence

Verb

Blood was seeping through the bandage. The chemicals seeped into the ground.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Many were barefoot with seeping gashes in their feet and bruises all over. — Todd Pitman, Fox News, "AP WAS THERE: 2013 typhoon kills thousands in Philippines," 15 Sep. 2018 The culminating moment of a years-long investigation into the seeping corruption in the sport featured most of the requisite elements of a true crime drama. — Jake Fischer And Jon Wertheim, SI.com, "Could a Rogue FBI Agent Derail the NCAA Corruption Probe?," 23 May 2018 Cypress trees have a great deep-green color and don't seep sap. — Popular Mechanics Editors, Popular Mechanics, "15 Things My Father Taught Me," 17 June 2016 Frustration over the loss has seeped into the country's presidential campaign. — Mauricio Savarese, Fox News, "Brazil museum fire sparks soul searching about spending," 27 Sep. 2018 The American fetish for barbarism has seeped into the national film culture with a quiet insidiousness, creating a governing body that writes off mass destruction as no biggie while going for the fainting couch at the sight of a second nipple. — Charles Bramesco, Vox, "Eighth Grade’s R rating deters actual 8th graders from seeing it. What a shame.," 18 July 2018 Sunshine causes oxidation that generates cracks, and those cracks worsen when water seeps into them. — Susan Carpenter, Los Angeles Magazine, "Is There Any Hope for L.A.’s Terrible Streets and Sidewalks?," 7 May 2018 From the large brimmed hats that ruled Luar’s Spring 2018 runway to the now ubiquitous cowboy boots at Calvin Klein, these fashionable Wild West references have seeped into the world of music as well. — Rachel Hahn, Vogue, "Watch Porches Take a Plunge in a Full Suit and Cowboy Boots," 21 Mar. 2018 Black humor and resignation have seeped into the collective DNA. — Greg Cote, miamiherald, "The brutal honesty fans must hear. Are the Dolphins really better after these moves? | Miami Herald," 16 Mar. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The precious presence of water is a fickle one, requiring a micro-filtration device to eek out ounces rather than gallons from seeps and springs often frequented by wildlife. — Peter Reese, Popular Mechanics, "4 Reasons Why You Need To Hike the Sonoran Desert," 2 May 2018 Protections also were added for methane seeps, undersea areas where the gas leaking out of the ocean bottom helps sustain sea life. — Hal Bernton, The Seattle Times, "Conservationists, West Coast bottom fishermen embrace ‘grand bargain’," 16 Apr. 2018 Duke also agrees to pay an $84,000 fine for leaking polluted water from the ponds into the Catawba and Broad rivers. Draining the ponds is expected to eliminate or reduce those leaks, which are called seeps. — Bruce Henderson And Deon Roberts, charlotteobserver, "Want to help speed up coal ash cleanup near Charlotte? Here’s how.," 9 Jan. 2018 Okoronkwo let his frustration with football seep into his schoolwork. — Bruce Feldman, SI.com, "The Unlikely Rise of Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, Oklahoma's Defensive MVP," 27 Dec. 2017 Detailing their results in the journal Environmental Health, researchers explain the chemical exposure came from the bitumen, which washes up to the Channel Islands from underwater seeps. — Brigit Katz, Smithsonian, "Drinking From Ancient Water Bottles Didn’t Hurt Indigenous People—Making Them Did," 29 June 2017 Detailing their results in the journal Environmental Health, researchers explain the chemical exposure came from the bitumen, which washes up to the Channel Islands from underwater seeps. — Brigit Katz, Smithsonian, "Drinking From Ancient Water Bottles Didn’t Hurt Indigenous People—Making Them Did," 29 June 2017 The Inupiat showed their visitors how wedges of tundra soaked with oil from seeps could be cut, hauled back to villages, and used as fuel. — Tim Bradner, Alaska Dispatch News, "There’s rich history in Native corporation’s bid to become an oil company," 12 July 2017 Detailing their results in the journal Environmental Health, researchers explain the chemical exposure came from the bitumen, which washes up to the Channel Islands from underwater seeps. — Brigit Katz, Smithsonian, "Drinking From Ancient Water Bottles Didn’t Hurt Indigenous People—Making Them Did," 29 June 2017

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