Showing Results for "creeping"

creeping

American

[kree-ping] / ˈkri pɪŋ /

noun

Slang. the act or practice of following someone persistently or stealthily, especially online.

Twitter and LinkedIn creeping is a normal part of my day.

adjective

advancing or developing gradually so as to infringe on or supplant something else.

creeping inflation;
creeping socialism.

Etymology

Origin of creeping

creep + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Despite the mouse’s tranquil existence, she can’t help but notice the ocean creeping closer every day.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

Taylor Clemons’ cinematography is excellent, all slow creeping shots and shadows permeating even the daytime scenes.

From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026

It's less bitter than green tea, with a low caffeine content - and it's creeping onto café menus.

From BBC • May 8, 2026

However, ChatGPT-maker OpenAI recently said it identified "goblin" and "gremlin" creeping into its systems' responses - a quirk it believes arose after a tool it trained to have a nerdy persona incentivised mentioning the creatures.

From BBC • May 8, 2026

"Hey there, Brutus," Satchmo whispered, creeping toward the football.

From "Look Both Ways" by Jason Reynolds

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023