as in jerk
a person whose behavior is offensive to others
finally found the creep who kept throwing his trash in the woods
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in to delay
to move or act slowly
that Friday afternoon we were just creeping, waiting for the bell to sound so that we could start the long weekend
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of creep
Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 26 Apr. 2026
This achievement offers important lessons for those seeking to defend democracy from authoritarian creep around the world.
—Elizabeth Shackelford, Chicago Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
Jamie Siebrase, Denver Post, 8 May 2026
As print and television media fumbled their way online, Gawker used the internet to pull back the curtain on celebrity, mainstream media, politics and creeping commercialism.
—Frank Digiacomo, HollywoodReporter, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for creep
Noun
The tiny silver-green leaves form an incredibly low, dense mat that creeps along the ground.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 26 Apr. 2026
This achievement offers important lessons for those seeking to defend democracy from authoritarian creep around the world.
—Elizabeth Shackelford, Chicago Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
Verb
Technology has crept into one of the oldest hobbies known to humanity.
—Jamie Siebrase, Denver Post, 8 May 2026
As print and television media fumbled their way online, Gawker used the internet to pull back the curtain on celebrity, mainstream media, politics and creeping commercialism.
—Frank Digiacomo, HollywoodReporter, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for creep
Recent Examples of Synonyms for creep
Noun
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Emerson had a 290 in the clean-and-jerk and 235 in the snatch (525 total) in the 154-pound weight class.—
Alex Kushel,
Sun Sentinel,
9 May 2026
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McKenzie was even more ahead of the pack in the Traditional style, which couples each lifter’s best bench press with their clean-and-jerk mark.—
Buddy Collings,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
The moonless nights of mid-May are a fantastic time to spot the glowing band of the Milky Way arching across the spring sky, before the encroaching twilight of the summer months shortens the viewing window.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
8 May 2026
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And then what happens when outside forces try to encroach on that?—
Carly Thomas,
HollywoodReporter,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
When that early foundation is delayed or inconsistent, the effects don’t stay confined to those first years.—
Tina Dello Russo,
Boston Herald,
10 May 2026
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San Diego is delaying most impacts of a new state law that requires cities to allow high-rise housing near trolley stations and major bus stops — but questions persist about how many bus stops the new law will affect.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 May 2026
Verb
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After losing her friend Yo, Anna spends a decade obsessively building a detailed one-third-scale replica of her house — just large enough to crawl inside — where a puppet version of Yo still lives.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
6 May 2026
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Ahmed Moustafa, who operates a halal cart near Yankee Stadium, is still crawling out from the pandemic.—
Yuna Kim,
New York Daily News,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
The Carboniferous period dragged on for sixty million.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
8 May 2026
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Perhaps the aether did exist, but it could never be construed as being in motion by an observer on the Earth, because the aether itself was being dragged by objects traveling through space, such as the Earth, explaining why a null result was obtained.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Damp conditions inside the drum encourage mildew and lingering odors that can be tough to remove from fabric.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Miami Herald,
12 May 2026
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The filmmaker explores how Inés’ coming of age mirrors the lingering wounds of Chile’s political transition to democracy from the dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet – a theme at the heart of Martelli’s feature debut Chile ’76, which premiered in the Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
12 May 2026
Verb
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The barely-there gown featured a nude bodice with black lace and black gems snaking along the collar, down the center, along her sleeves and onto her hands.—
Sophie Dodd,
PEOPLE,
4 May 2026
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The dirt-only diamond was loamy and soft and home plate was totally submerged in a muddy puddle, a tributary of which also snaked down the third-base line.—
Chang-rae Lee,
New Yorker,
3 May 2026
Verb
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Aggressive bears are known to stalk, claw and even bite tourists in Great Smoky National Park, but rangers say one recent encounter involved a bear poking a hiker with its big wet nose.—
Mark Price
May 12,
Charlotte Observer,
12 May 2026
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Many curious passersby poked their heads inside, wondering if the restaurant was serving food again.—
Iris Kwok
May 12,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Creep.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/creep. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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