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.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of creeping
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
Arielle Gordon, Pitchfork, 16 Sep. 2025
Moms pushed babies in strollers on a road divided by a median of blowing sand and creeping ice plant succulents, still striped with dotted white lines marking what used to be driving lanes.
—Janie Har, Fortune, 16 Sep. 2025
Political violence has been creeping closer to the center of American life for more than a decade.
—Marly Berlin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Sep. 2025
This porch-ready planting includes purple fountain grass, flowering kale, coralbells, creeping Jenny, and marguerite daisies.
—Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Sep. 2025
However, this highlights how the inconsistency many want to eliminate is still creeping in.
—Alex Kalinauckas, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
The title track opens the affair by lurching and creeping forward for ten minutes with odd, off-putting lyrics.
—Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald, 13 Sep. 2025
The rain is much needed, as most of the Kansas City forecast area is abnormally dry, with moderate drought conditions creeping closer to its boundaries in mid-Missouri, the weather service said.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 12 Sep. 2025
While not exactly undiscovered, Mendocino’s three-hour distance from San Francisco has long protected it from the development and gentrification creeping into Sonoma.
—Lauren Mowery, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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
Coachella hasn’t sold out since 2023, despite its release dates creeping earlier in the calendar each year.
—Arielle Gordon, Pitchfork, 16 Sep. 2025
Moms pushed babies in strollers on a road divided by a median of blowing sand and creeping ice plant succulents, still striped with dotted white lines marking what used to be driving lanes.
—Janie Har, Fortune, 16 Sep. 2025
Political violence has been creeping closer to the center of American life for more than a decade.
—Marly Berlin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Sep. 2025
This porch-ready planting includes purple fountain grass, flowering kale, coralbells, creeping Jenny, and marguerite daisies.
—Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Sep. 2025
However, this highlights how the inconsistency many want to eliminate is still creeping in.
—Alex Kalinauckas, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
The title track opens the affair by lurching and creeping forward for ten minutes with odd, off-putting lyrics.
—Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald, 13 Sep. 2025
The rain is much needed, as most of the Kansas City forecast area is abnormally dry, with moderate drought conditions creeping closer to its boundaries in mid-Missouri, the weather service said.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 12 Sep. 2025
While not exactly undiscovered, Mendocino’s three-hour distance from San Francisco has long protected it from the development and gentrification creeping into Sonoma.
—Lauren Mowery, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for creeping
Adjective
-
The leisurely trips meander along the Snake River, near Grand Teton National Park, for several hours.—
Stephanie Vermillion,
Travel + Leisure,
14 Sep. 2025
-
Once a working farm in the time of the gold rush, since 1962 the Greenhorn has been a place where the day is taken at a leisurely pace, where visitors soak in the 600 acres that abuts to 500,000 more acres of public land.—
Jenny Peters,
Oc Register,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
And despite the encroaching waves, which nibbled more of our NewFarms every month.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 Sep. 2025
-
With 26 million active or funded customer accounts, Robinhood is fast encroaching on incumbents like Charles Schwab (37 million) and is six times larger than Merrill Lynch.—
Martina Castellanos,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
This effortless touchpoint builds trust, catches lingering issues and creates loyal advocates who feel truly valued.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Grove Collaborative recommends starting with wipes to eliminate any lingering gunk.—
Lauren Wicks,
Southern Living,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Her grandkids are crawling into trouble.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Sep. 2025
-
The pair is seen crawling through a wildflower field, dancing, and jumping, but also hollering at each other, brandishing knives, and at some point, Lawrence licks a window with zeal.—
Mankaprr Conteh,
Rolling Stone,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Moncur struggled for seven minutes, dragging Blaze — who was locked on her arm — to the front of the facility in search of help.—
Tony Saavedra,
Oc Register,
16 Sep. 2025
-
The trends have contributed to a slump in consumer confidence, dragging on spending and threatening leaders’ official growth target for this year of around 5%.—
Nino Paoli,
Fortune,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
During the prelims in Tokyo, Seville had a concerning slow reaction to the starting gun.—
Katelyn Hutchison,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Parisian servers may have an undeserved reputation for being slow, but instead of complaining or searching for faster service elsewhere, settle in with a book or newspaper.—
Lane Nieset,
Travel + Leisure,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The long-term effect is a generation carrying debt, stuck in low-wage jobs, and delaying milestones like homeownership or starting families.—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Flush-fit door handles fail far more often during side impacts than regular handles, delaying egress or rescue time after a crash.—
Jonathan M. Gitlin,
ArsTechnica,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
In short, this is a smart gel where tiny sliding molecules act like both shock absorbers and stress indicators.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Sep. 2025
-
As has become tradition, the ads will reference trends and conversations in college football like the coaching hot seat, flag planting and quarterbacks sliding in the draft.—
Kristi Dosh,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Creeping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/creeping. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share