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
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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
But then the Broncos’ offensive woes crept back to the forefront.
—
Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 8 Jan. 2026
Individual mistakes crept into a squad that was already low on confidence from the end of Erik ten Hag’s managerial reign.
—Carl Anka, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
Thin clouds crept across my field of vision.
—Hannah Walhout, Travel + Leisure, 30 Dec. 2025
The Christmas Spirit crept into Watson’s soul a long time ago.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 24 Dec. 2025
Oklahoma jumped out to a 17-0 lead in the first half before the Crimson Tide slowly crept back, scoring 10 unanswered, then tying it on a 50-yard interception return by Zavien Brown before the half.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 20 Dec. 2025
Medicine has understood it for some time now, but what crept in was social commentary, a societal bias that questions whether pleasure matters for women.
—Alice Park, Time, 16 Dec. 2025
That's one reason the idea of debt settlement has crept back into the conversation, particularly for people whose financial situations have taken a sharp turn.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 10 Dec. 2025
For many parts of the country, the average date of the first fall frost has passed, and the chill of autumn nights has already crept in, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac.
—Stuart Dyos, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crept
Verb
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Palace intrigue encroached on his confidence at times.—
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Lucah's second tooth had encroached, blocking the path for his right front tooth, which remains recessed in his gums, his mother said.—
Verb
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But as a standoff with Realmuto has lingered, the Phillies began debating different paths.—
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McDaniel lingered in the hallway.—
Verb
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One team member crawled inside and fired paintballs filled with vegetable oil, wildlife organization BEAR League told Fox News Digital on Thursday.—
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Scott’s almost-every-snap status has largely crawled under the radar this season.—
Verb
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Sure enough, Hill took a short swing pass, collided with a would-be Georgetown tackler around the 10-yard line, and dragged three Eagles forward before falling on the pylon for a touchdown.—
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In the June incident, Ross broke the window of a car when the driver refused to exit the vehicle and then found himself being dragged at least 50 yards when the driver hit the gas.—
Verb
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Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes.—
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Several school districts in Massachusetts and New Hampshire have delayed the start of classes Wednesday because of the freezing rain and icy roads.—
Verb
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Fleury was shoved to the ice by Golden Knights winger Keegan Kolesar after sending a breakout pass and slid backward into the end boards.—
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Kelsea Ballerini and Chase Stokes have been romantically linked since 2022, when the country singer slid into his DMs.—
Verb
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Empty boxes were stacked along a side wall in the locker room as players shuffled in and out to pack up a season’s worth of shirts and jerseys and cleats and memorabilia.—
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First, the sophomore shuffled back into coverage after showing A-gap pressure to intercept a Bryce Underwood pass over the middle of the field, ending a key fourth-quarter drive.—
Verb
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Manette poked fun at his famous recliner For over 35 years, Curt has settled into the same teal Bradington Young recliner to eat, watch TV and work out football plays.—
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Fox grabbed Vanderbilt to walk him away, but the Lakers forward poked Sochan in the face with his left index finger.—
Cite this Entry
“Crept.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crept. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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