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
In recent years, suburban creep has worked its way toward them. Vivian Jones, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025 As the novel unfolds, Carson follows Lexa’s life at the foot of the mountain, as she is caught between loyalties to her family and to her betrothed, while the spectre of violence creeps closer by the day. Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2025
Verb
This porch-ready planting includes purple fountain grass, flowering kale, coralbells, creeping Jenny, and marguerite daisies. Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Sep. 2025 Inflation has crept higher over the past several months in part because tariffs are – slowly – starting to boost prices. David Goldman, CNN Money, 15 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for creep
Recent Examples of Synonyms for creep
Noun
  • Check out its jerk chicken roll filled with carrots, cabbage, onions, cheese and jerk mayo; or try the jerk chicken wings and sides of rice and peas, plantains and cabbage.
    Loán Lake, Charlotte Observer, 16 Sep. 2025
  • No one says, 'This guy's a jerk, that guy is that,' or anything like that.
    Julio Cesar Valdera Morales, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • And despite the encroaching waves, which nibbled more of our NewFarms every month.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Instead, vague references to a second Civil War invoke our current reality, with its stark ideological divides, encroaching political violence, and calls for retribution that have only escalated in recent days.
    Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • More than 300 flights were delayed at Denver International Airport on Saturday due to a ground delay caused by thunderstorms in the area.
    Marco Cummings, Denver Post, 14 Sep. 2025
  • Previously, researchers faced strict regulations that could delay their work.
    Dario Sabaghi, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • And to get there, visitors will have to make their way through scare zones brimming with crawling monsters and roaring chainsaws.
    Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Insects crawled through clinical areas, and staff food was stored alongside medical supplies.
    Walter Pavlo, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • This is not about dragging NATO into war.
    David A. Deptula, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
  • After being struck from behind, he was dragged to the ground and mauled him, with other lions joined in, per Khaosod English.
    Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Yet Harris lingers near the top of the 2028 Democratic presidential contenders in most polling because the party lacks viable alternatives with comparable name identification.
    W. James Antle III, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
  • This effortless touchpoint builds trust, catches lingering issues and creates loyal advocates who feel truly valued.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Lines of hundreds of guests snaked around the inside of the department store (which takes up an entire city block in Manhattan), with onlookers snapping photos quizzically.
    Anika Reed, USA Today, 13 Sep. 2025
  • The Wild Flint The Flint snakes down Georgia, a safe distance from I-85 and I-75, before joining the Chattahoochee River in Lake Seminole and cutting across the Florida Panhandle as the Apalachicola River.
    David Hanson, Southern Living, 13 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Keep communication open by avoiding poking fun at these practices.
    Ashleigh N. DeLuca, Parents, 16 Sep. 2025
  • Gibson proceeded to the Children’s Chorus room, where two staffers welcomed her to poke through the costume racks.
    Sarah Larson, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Creep.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/creep. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

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