creeps 1 of 2

plural of creep

creeps

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of creep
1
as in encroaches
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 crawls
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 creeps
Noun
Treasury yields are at their highest since 2007, and as oil creeps higher on the Iran standoff, investors find themselves in yet another guessing game. — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 28 Sep. 2026 Within a few blinks, the red-and-white curbing blurs into a solid pink, and a hint of tunnel vision creeps in while the electronic stability control steadies the Bolide. — Sean Evans, Robb Report, 26 Sep. 2026 Fall color creeps down Door County like mercury in a thermometer, from Washington Island in mid- to late-September to Green Bay in October. — Hannah Agran, Midwest Living, 12 Sep. 2026 People start feeling uncomfortable when the dew point creeps into the 60s, especially the mid- and upper-60s. — Paris Barraza, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2026 His daughter’s no-nonsense nanny, Malvina (Anna Diaz), side-eyes her bougie employers, while Silvina’s scruffy ex-husband, Ricardes (Manuel Garcia Rulfo), creeps around the gardens, occasionally drawing Camilo into a heart-to-heart. — Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026 As fall creeps in and the days grow cooler, many flowers fade away and gardens can start to look a little drab. — Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 7 Sep. 2026 Also that killer choreography remains a surprisingly effective tool against creeps. — Lisa Whittington-Hill, Longreads, 27 Aug. 2026 In the ad, Hansen reportedly speaks directly to the audience and tells them to visit TruBlu, his streaming service featuring true-crime shows about scams and creeps. — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2026
Verb
The tone creeps into despair as the scales fall from Sutskever’s eyes. — E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026 Rain creeps back into the forecast by the middle of next week, when the tides are expected to be closer to normal. — Alex Harris updated September 27, Miami Herald, 27 Sep. 2026 However, if light still creeps in under the door or the edges of windows, try light blocking foam or strips, which may be sold as draft stoppers or weatherproofing materials. — Sandee Lamotte, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2026 Nic Antaya / Getty Images As the calendar creeps toward September, the Detroit Red Wings are still conducting their search for their next general manager. — Max Bultman, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026 The polarizing quarterback will start Cleveland's exhibition opener at Chicago on Saturday — his first game action since 2024 — and Shedeur Sanders will play in the second half as the Browns' QB competition creeps toward a conclusion. — ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026 Moura can only laugh at the absurd timing, though a hint of understandable frustration still creeps into his recollection. — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 10 Aug. 2026 Complexity slowly creeps in, via the boardroom, presentations, decisions, relationships and finally, the ability to serve the consumer and the very reason why the company exists in the first place. — Sonal Jain, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026 As our conversation extends into the hour mark, her hood creeps upward along the side of her face most visible to those around us. — José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 23 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for creeps
Noun
  • Lee and his Burning co-writer Oh Jung-mi resist what might have been the first instinct of many filmmakers by refusing to make Ye-ji and Sang-woo overly patronizing rich jerks.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The Ars OpenForum is a place for readers to ask questions, compare notes, argue (without being jerks to each other), and go down all sorts of rabbit holes.
    — Eric Bangeman, ArsTechnica, 31 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The necessary debates are only beginning to heat up as AI inexorably encroaches on our daily lives.
    — Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The case also determined that the neighbor has the right to trim any greenery that encroaches onto their property.
    — Amaia Gavica, Miami Herald, 23 July 2026
Verb
  • Flooding issues will likely peak late this week or early this weekend for many spots, and could be slow to ease next week if the nor’easter lingers close to the coast.
    — Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The camera still lingers, the music still aches, but the urgency is gone.
    — Henry Metz, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • There’s also a less than 10% chance of showers, if one of the hurricanes crawls farther up the coast, according to Wofford.
    — Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Hairy-nosed wombat births are hard to spot, as after about a 30-day pregnancy, the joey crawls into its mother’s pouch.
    — Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 16 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Republicans have expressed growing pessimism about their chances in the election, which will determine control of Congress, as the president has repeatedly dismissed concerns about high costs and gas prices as his unpopular war in Iran drags on.
    — MICHELLE L. PRICE, Arkansas Online, 2 Oct. 2026
  • In it, a botched secret mission drags Eken Babu into a mystery in Kerala.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 30 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Because some of them are showing up to the game looking like clowns.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 20 Sep. 2026
  • The excessiveness of Ken Russell, Joe Coleman, Tasha Tudor, clowns, migraines, Priscilla Presley, and the Winchester Mystery House.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Bryan gets attacked by a dog, who pokes its head through a barn wall…and then the dog’s face splits apart like a flower, with tentacles shooting out.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Natural light pokes through the windows, adding a trademark freshness to an indoor coliseum.
    — Alec Lewis, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The new district snakes up through Kansas City’s urban core, in an attempt to create a district more favorable for Republicans in the 5th District.
    — Jack Harvel July 28, Kansas City Star, 28 July 2026
  • The story of McCarthy’s life was written on this winding street that snakes through a small, working-class corner of Pittsburgh where the Monongahela River bends.
    — Mike DeFabo, New York Times, 27 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Creeps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/creeps. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

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