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• creek
  creek

  noun

  a stream smaller than a river.
• Creek
  Creek

  noun

  a member of a confederacy of North American Indians that in historic times occupied the greater part of Alabama and Georgia.

creek

¹ American  

[kreek, krik] / krik, krɪk /

noun

creeks plural

1. U.S. and Canada. a stream smaller than a river.

2. a stream or channel in a coastal marsh.

3. Chiefly Atlantic States and British. a recess or inlet in the shore of the sea.

4. an estuary.

5. British Dialect. a narrow, winding passage or hidden recess.

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idioms

1. up the / a creek (without a paddle), in a predicament; in a difficult or seemingly hopeless situation.

   The pension is so small, I'd be up the creek if I had no other income.

   Don't ask me to navigate, or we'll be up a creek without a paddle in no time.

Creek ² American  

[kreek] / krik /

noun

Creeks, plural Creek plural

1. a member of a confederacy of North American Indians that in historic times occupied the greater part of Alabama and Georgia.

2. Also called Muskogee.  a Muskogean language that is the language of the Creek Indians.

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creek ¹ British  

/ kriːk /

noun

1. a narrow inlet or bay, esp of the sea

2. a small stream or tributary

3. slang in trouble; in a difficult position

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Creek ² British  

/ kriːk /

noun

1. a member of a confederacy of Native American peoples formerly living in Georgia and Alabama, now chiefly in Oklahoma

2. any of the languages of these peoples, belonging to the Muskhogean family

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creek More Idioms  

1. see up a creek.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• subcreek
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• Creek
  plural
• Creeks
  plural
• creeks
  plural

Etymology

Origin of creek

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English creke, variant of crike, from Old Norse kriki “bend, crook”

Explanation

A creek is a stream — like a river, but smaller — and if you grew up in the TV version of rural America, you probably had a creek babbling through your backyard and a dog that looked like Lassie. If you're "up a creek," or "up a creek without a paddle," you've got a problem with no solution in sight. Say you're out in the middle of nowhere, your cell phone battery has just died, and your car won't start. Unless you've got a solar charger or a tow truck comes along, you're definitely up a creek.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

creek Creek Creeks creeks

While recording in a park one evening, Jack picks up the sound of a car tire exploding before he sees the vehicle careen off the road and into a creek.

From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026

John Quincy Adams swam in a nearby creek.

From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026

Many were repatriated to the lagoon at the mouth of the creek in a moving ceremony last June.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2026

“Backing to the natural beauty of woods and a creek, the property enjoys exceptional privacy and a sense of peaceful seclusion,” the description continued.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 5, 2026

He lived just outside Sassafras Springs in a cluster of small hardscrabble farms everybody called Bent Fork, because it was tucked in next to the bend of the creek.

From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney

McCovey described Prairie Creek as key habitat for coho salmon, which are federally protected in this portion of California.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

As he approached the Alligator Hole swimming area, his vehicle slid off the road and became stuck on a mound of dirt 60 feet above a gully near Big Chico Creek, witnesses said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026

His backer was Chicago private-equity firm Granite Creek Capital Partners, which aims to invest $10 million to $30 million in companies with at least $3 million of Ebitda, according to its website.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026

To identify the predator, the researchers compared the embedded tooth with those of every known meat eating dinosaur from the Hell Creek Formation.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 14, 2026

What if the Tuscan was flowing into Magpie Creek and from there into Magpie Lake, as it always had, but no water was flowing out on the other side?

From "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret

Newton and Noss Creeks, Devon – a narrow tidal inlet just off the River Yealm in the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

From BBC ● Feb. 13, 2026

Fire crews were starting work on the eastern edge of the Swillup fire Wednesday while drones were expected to check for heat in the Canyon, Three Creeks, Elliot and Swillup fires.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2023

Because the Poarch Creeks are a federally recognized tribe, they have qualified immunity and cannot be sued for developing their land, according to his opinion.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 22, 2023

Intermarriage between Creeks and Whites also further complicated the situation.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 26, 2023

His reputation as a fierce soldier began during a hard-fought war against the Creeks, a native nation allied with the British.

From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis

The sizable farm was previously described as being home to an abundance of wildlife—and also features multiple trails and two year-round creeks that run through the land.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 4, 2026

Along the way, the filing said, Allen recorded his appreciation for the changing landscapes, for example writing on his phone that Pennsylvania's woods resembled "vast fairy lands filled with tiny trickling creeks."

From Barron's ● Apr. 29, 2026

Those risks are especially acute for waters near storm drains, creeks and rivers, it said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 13, 2026

Friends and loved ones continued to comb the area for signs of Cynthia, searching creeks and sewer drains and putting up flyers on utility poles.

From Slate ● Apr. 6, 2026

Valleys, lakes, gaps, creeks, and other important, possibly vital, topographical features are routinely left unnamed.

From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson