as in leisurely
moving or proceeding at less than the normal, desirable, or required speed
at this creeping pace of progress we'll never have the float ready for the parade
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in encroaching
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
as in lingering
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
as in crawling
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
as in dragging
to move slowly
the class hour seems to creep by
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of creeping
Literary Hub, 15 Apr. 2026
The overall effect is one of decadence laced with a creeping sense of horror.
—Charlie Jane Anders, Washington Post, 7 Feb. 2023
As a child, she was plagued by anxiety and the creeping sense that adults, especially her mother, were keeping secrets from the kids.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Jan. 2023
Then comes the creeping sense that their conversation is screwy.
—Amy Nicholson, Variety, 11 Sep. 2022
For some, once the initial shock wore off, a creeping sense of inevitability set in.
—Ruth Madievsky, The Atlantic, 18 July 2022
This growing entanglement of the corporate and social, this creeping sense of being tracked by invisible eyes, demands an increasing sophistication about what is said and where.
—Kara Devlin, Longreads, 20 May 2022
But beneath the know-it-all tweets, there is a creeping sense that the psychological distance between the masses of 401(k) investors and the billionaire marks may not be that far.
—New York Times, 9 Oct. 2021
Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 12 May 2026
This low-mounding shade perennial sends up taller, slender stems with airy flower clusters, and the groundcover spreads by slowly creeping rhizomes.
—Judy Nauseef, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 May 2026
Perfect Pairings for Sedums In a rock garden, match low-growing sedums with candytuft, aubrieta, lithodora, or creeping thyme, says Horvath.
—Erica Browne Grivas, Midwest Living, 11 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 latest Spencer Pratt polls A poll from the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs in early April found that Bass led with 25% of voters’ support, but a chunk of voters, 40%, were undecided in a race that’s creeping closer.
—Paris Barraza, USA Today, 8 May 2026
But reality has a funny way of creeping in.
—Cat Cardenas, Vogue, 7 May 2026
There are more than 70 species, but the three most popular ones grown in gardens are creeping phlox, woodland phlox, and tall phlox.
—Farima Ferguson, The Spruce, 6 May 2026
Most gardens naturally have crevices that many plants will gladly make home like; Sedum, succulents, various grasses (like Emerald' zoysia grass here), creeping thyme, Rupturwort, New Zealand Brass Buttons, and various mosses.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 6 May 2026
Adjective
The warmth of the film—shot on location in Positano, Italy—only adds to its creeping, sexy menace.
—Literary Hub, 15 Apr. 2026
The overall effect is one of decadence laced with a creeping sense of horror.
—Charlie Jane Anders, Washington Post, 7 Feb. 2023
As a child, she was plagued by anxiety and the creeping sense that adults, especially her mother, were keeping secrets from the kids.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Jan. 2023
Then comes the creeping sense that their conversation is screwy.
—Amy Nicholson, Variety, 11 Sep. 2022
For some, once the initial shock wore off, a creeping sense of inevitability set in.
—Ruth Madievsky, The Atlantic, 18 July 2022
This growing entanglement of the corporate and social, this creeping sense of being tracked by invisible eyes, demands an increasing sophistication about what is said and where.
—Kara Devlin, Longreads, 20 May 2022
But beneath the know-it-all tweets, there is a creeping sense that the psychological distance between the masses of 401(k) investors and the billionaire marks may not be that far.
—New York Times, 9 Oct. 2021
Verb
Audiences have championed the films for their creeping realism and slow-building scares that made ordinary bedrooms, hallways and home security cameras feel terrifying.
—Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 12 May 2026
This low-mounding shade perennial sends up taller, slender stems with airy flower clusters, and the groundcover spreads by slowly creeping rhizomes.
—Judy Nauseef, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 May 2026
Perfect Pairings for Sedums In a rock garden, match low-growing sedums with candytuft, aubrieta, lithodora, or creeping thyme, says Horvath.
—Erica Browne Grivas, Midwest Living, 11 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 latest Spencer Pratt polls A poll from the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs in early April found that Bass led with 25% of voters’ support, but a chunk of voters, 40%, were undecided in a race that’s creeping closer.
—Paris Barraza, USA Today, 8 May 2026
But reality has a funny way of creeping in.
—Cat Cardenas, Vogue, 7 May 2026
There are more than 70 species, but the three most popular ones grown in gardens are creeping phlox, woodland phlox, and tall phlox.
—Farima Ferguson, The Spruce, 6 May 2026
Most gardens naturally have crevices that many plants will gladly make home like; Sedum, succulents, various grasses (like Emerald' zoysia grass here), creeping thyme, Rupturwort, New Zealand Brass Buttons, and various mosses.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 6 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for creeping
Adjective
-
Start the day with grab-and-go breakfast tacos and end it with a leisurely dinner of Wagyu beef fajitas or the Dandy Don, an enchilada sampler made with locally famous La Norteña tortillas.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
6 May 2026
-
Its activewear combines fitness, sports with the leisurely surf style.—
Ella Gonzales
May 4,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
Your neighbors may not want to deal with its thorny leaves encroaching on their yard.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
30 Apr. 2026
-
An encroaching fog is disrupting the ferry schedule.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
Detroit then went to Orlando and extended its hopes yet again — crawling out of a 24-point hole through a historic clampdown.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
5 May 2026
Verb
-
Travelers end up dragging coats through museums or try to shove them into already full suitcases before a train transfer.—
Chantelle Kincy,
Travel + Leisure,
10 May 2026
-
That’s led to a stark split between Wall Street analysts and energy experts, who have been warning that oil supplies could head off a cliff in the coming months or even weeks, dragging the global economy down in the process.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
10 May 2026
Adjective
-
But so far, progress has been slow — if not nonexistent.—
Audrey Pachuta,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2026
-
Russia’s bigger and better-equipped army has been engaged in a slow, hard slog in Ukraine.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Yamaha’s plant shut down due to Covid-19, delaying TCW’s ability to retrieve and return the equipment in the allotted time, but Evergreen still charged the fees.—
Glenn Taylor,
Footwear News,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Three minutes and 22 seconds into the first period, Frost defender Sidney Morin got an open pass from captain Kendall Coyne Schofield just to the right of Montreal’s goal, sliding it just behind Ann-Renée Desbiens.—
Theodore Tollefson,
Twin Cities,
8 May 2026
-
After Kevin McGonigle led off with a lineout – another smooth-as-silk sliding catch by Abreu – the righty issued back-to-back walks to Matt Vierling and Keith.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Creeping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/creeping. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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