creep 1 of 2

creep

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to encroach
to advance gradually beyond the usual or desirable limits water crept slowly over the top of the tub and onto the floor

Synonyms & Similar Words

2
3
as in to crawl
to move slowly with the body close to the ground the kitten crept silently across the floor before suddenly pouncing on the mouse

Synonyms & Similar Words

4

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of creep
Noun
Peonies follow the perennial growth pattern of sleep-creep-leap. Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Oct. 2025 Keitt, a professor of integrative biology at UT Austin, has been keeping tabs on their rapid northward creep since 2018. Amanda Schupak, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2025
Verb
Over the weekend, social media videos showed water completely covering streets, creeping into front yards and parking lots. Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2025 Next, place creeping wire vines all the way around, tucking them in toward the outer edges. Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 4 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for creep
Recent Examples of Synonyms for creep
Noun
  • Saddled with an uninteresting jerk half the time and a muzzled non-entity the other half, there’s only a handful of moments in the first six episodes where Powell’s star power shines through.
    Ben Travers, IndieWire, 29 Sep. 2025
  • For a taste of the Caribbean, head to Kingston Kitchen at the Village Inn, where chef Shawn Fearon serves the flavors of his native Jamaica—oxtail, jerk chicken, ackee and saltfish, curried goat, and the best whitefish sandwich on the island.
    Christine Chitnis, Vogue, 24 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The atmosphere of a Gothic novel creeps over you; encroaching mist along the outcroppings.
    Leanna Renee Hieber, Big Think, 2 Oct. 2025
  • The screen’s bulk and curvature strain outward to encroach upon viewers, who watch from tiered bleachers enclosed on three sides by a chain-link fence.
    Anne Reeve, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The Treasury has not set a date for when the final draft will be decided, but the government shutdown may delay a final decision.
    Jessica Coacci, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2025
  • Munich Airport in Germany briefly delayed the relaunch of flight operations on Saturday morning local time due to drone sightings, after previous UAV sightings earlier halted all traffic at the airport for several hours.
    Laura Sharman, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Instead of nurturing bold concepts through this early stage, investors are now implicitly asking that entrepreneurs crawl through it alone.
    Roman Axelrod, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2025
  • And there's these little worms crawling around.
    Steve Bender, Southern Living, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Linda also drags her daughter to a clinic for regular treatments, none of which seem to do any good.
    Justin Chang, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2025
  • That was Emily, the fifer, dragging a man out of bed.
    Caity Weaver, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Housed in a former fisherman’s warehouse, its soaring ceilings once designed for boat repair, Paleo is the spot to linger over a simple cheese plate and a bottle from its extensive Greek wine cellar.
    Katherine Whittaker, Saveur, 9 Oct. 2025
  • As trade and political uncertainty lingers, the dollar index, which measures the dollar against foreign currencies such as the pound sterling, the euro and the yen, has declined about 9% this year.
    Steve Kopack, NBC news, 9 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The 67-year-old singer arrived at the Saint Laurent spring 2026 show outside the Eiffel Tower on Monday night during Paris Fashion Week, her wavy blond hair loosely trapped under the collar of her leather top, curls snaking around the edges of her face, pooling just below her collarbone.
    Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2025
  • In response, local tourism companies clashed, generating blockades and halting services that marooned global travelers in Aguas Calientes, the remote gateway town where buses snake through the Andes toward the 15th-century Inca citadel.
    Mark Johanson, Outside, 25 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The Cowboys poked a hole in the Jets’ balloon after the Hall fumble.
    Zack Rosenblatt, New York Times, 6 Oct. 2025
  • An alligator’s head could be seen poking out of the water just a few feet away as Whaley prepared to take his shot, but the 30-year-old quickly brought the ball back onto dry land and escaped with par on the 11th green.
    Reuters, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Creep.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/creep. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.

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