1
as in encroached
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
Relevance
2
as in lingered
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
4
as in dragged
to move slowly
the class hour seems to creep by
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of crept
What counts as a standard tip has also crept upward.
—
Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 12 Mar. 2026
Not only that, but the baseline expectation at traditional full-service restaurants has crept upward, too.
—Ryan Brennan
march 12, Kansas City Star, 12 Mar. 2026
That familiar feeling of fullness crept in.
—Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 10 Mar. 2026
But as application deadlines loomed, doubt crept in.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 2 Mar. 2026
This book by Jessamine Chan crept its way into my marrow and refused to get out.
—Literary Hub, 23 Feb. 2026
Shots stopped falling, turnovers crept in and possessions that had previously looked sharp dissolved into hurried attempts and empty trips.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 22 Feb. 2026
Their rustic aesthetic heralded an acoustic music boom that included acts like Ed Sheeran, Noah Kahan, and Zach Bryan, and their sound crept into the rhythms of pop.
—Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone, 21 Feb. 2026
And this wouldn’t be the first time that a traditional signifier of masculinity crept back into mainstream culture by way of performative half jokes.
—Daniel Engber, The Atlantic, 20 Feb. 2026
Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 12 Mar. 2026
Not only that, but the baseline expectation at traditional full-service restaurants has crept upward, too.
—Ryan Brennan
march 12, Kansas City Star, 12 Mar. 2026
That familiar feeling of fullness crept in.
—Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 10 Mar. 2026
But as application deadlines loomed, doubt crept in.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 2 Mar. 2026
This book by Jessamine Chan crept its way into my marrow and refused to get out.
—Literary Hub, 23 Feb. 2026
Shots stopped falling, turnovers crept in and possessions that had previously looked sharp dissolved into hurried attempts and empty trips.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 22 Feb. 2026
Their rustic aesthetic heralded an acoustic music boom that included acts like Ed Sheeran, Noah Kahan, and Zach Bryan, and their sound crept into the rhythms of pop.
—Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone, 21 Feb. 2026
And this wouldn’t be the first time that a traditional signifier of masculinity crept back into mainstream culture by way of performative half jokes.
—Daniel Engber, The Atlantic, 20 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crept
Verb
-
In a filing late Friday, the DOJ argued that each of the four judges erred in their judgements and unlawfully encroached on the president’s power.—
Peter Charalambous,
ABC News,
7 Mar. 2026
-
In their court arguments, the environmental groups have maintained that the detention center encroached on the habitat of the Florida Panther.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The bouncy seventh-year center suffered a severe right ankle sprain on the first day of training camp and the pain has lingered for five months, limiting his mobility and effectiveness on both ends of the floor.—
Mike Curtis,
Dallas Morning News,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Simons fractured his wrist in training camp with the Boston Celtics, an injury that lingered after briefly sidelining him at the start of the season.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
One roach crawled on the three-compartment sink.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Related groups of animals, such as the ancestors of today’s millipedes, crawled out of the sea a bit earlier than insects did.—
Andrew Coletti,
Popular Science,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The case dragged on for more than a decade before a landmark 1997 settlement established nationwide minimum standards for the detention of minors.—
Mike Hixenbaugh,
NBC news,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Even with the massive emergency release, analysts said that strategic reserves can cover only a fraction of the supply loss if the conflict dragged on.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Chicago O’Hare issued a ground stop on Tuesday night due to thunderstorms, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, with flight departures delayed an average of 15 minutes and increasing.—
Madeline King,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
-
The probe was delayed from 2022, and headed for the asteroid Psyche, using a Mars-gravity assist and not arriving until August 2029.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Sonis slid on on the play with the studs of her left cleat off the ground, which resulted in the play being changed to a serious penalty after review.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
14 Mar. 2026
-
With 28 seconds left in the man advantage, Florida’s Sam Reinhart buried a puck into a mostly open net to Merzlikins’ right after the puck slid all the way through traffic to find Reinhart.—
Aaron Portzline,
New York Times,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
As children from the synagogue were shuffled to safety, nearby West Bloomfield Schools were under a shelter-in-place order from police.—
John Wisely,
Freep.com,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Samson Fellows shuffled in his slippers to a small space heater and flicked it on.—
Hazlitt,
Hazlitt,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But researchers who studied crocodiles at an outdoor recreation center near Cape Town appear to have poked a hole in that approach.—
Regina G. Barber,
NPR,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Flick’s team persisted after the break, pressing high and eventually finding a third goal when Bernal poked home from a Joao Cancelo cross.—
Laia Cervelló Herrero,
New York Times,
3 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crept.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crept. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
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