crease

American  

[krees] / kris /

noun

• creases
  plural

1. a ridge or groove produced in anything by folding, heat, pressure, etc.; fold; furrow.

2. a wrinkle, especially one on the face.

3. the straight, vertical edge or line produced in the front and back of trousers, especially men's trousers, by pressing, as with a steam presser or iron.

4. Ice Hockey. the marked rectangular area in front of each goal cage, into which an offensive player can skate only if that player has the puck, if the puck is already within the area, or if the goalie is absent.

5. Cricket.

   1. bowling crease.

   2. popping crease.

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verb (used with object)

• creases,
  present (3rd person singular)
• creased,
  past participle,  past
• creasing
  present participle

1. to make a crease or creases in or on; wrinkle.

   Synonyms:

   fold, furrow, pucker, crimp

2. to wound or stun by a furrowing or superficial shot.

   The bullet merely creased his shoulder.

verb (used without object)

• creases,
  present (3rd person singular)
• creased,
  past participle,  past
• creasing
  present participle

1. to become creased.

crease ¹ British  

/ kriːs /

noun

1. a line or mark produced by folding, pressing, or wrinkling

2. a wrinkle or furrow, esp on the face

3. cricket any three lines near each wicket marking positions for the bowler or batsman See also bowling crease popping crease return crease

4. ice hockey the small rectangular area in front of each goal cage

5. Also called: goal crease. lacrosse the circular area surrounding the goal

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verb

1. to make or become wrinkled or furrowed

2. (tr) to graze with a bullet, causing superficial injury

3. slang (often foll by up) to be or cause to be greatly amused

crease ² British  

/ kriːs /

noun

1. a rare spelling of kris

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• creaser
  noun
• creaseless
  adjective
• creasy
  adjective
• uncreased
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• creases
  plural

Participles

• creasing
  present
• creased
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• crease
  simple
• creases
  simple
• have creased
  perfect
• has creased
  perfect
• am creasing
  progressive
• are creasing
  progressive
• is creasing
  progressive
• have been creasing
  perfect progressive
• has been creasing
  perfect progressive

Past

• creased
  simple
• had creased
  perfect
• was creasing
  progressive
• were creasing
  progressive
• had been creasing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will crease
  simple
• will have creased
  perfect
• will be creasing
  progressive
• will have been creasing
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of crease

1400–50; late Middle English creeste, crest, apparently special use of crest

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Explanation

A crease is a fold, wrinkle, or line, like the crease in your perfectly ironed pants or the worried crease in your dad's forehead when he sees you heading out into the snow without a hat and scarf. A crease can be straight and sharp — think of the creases in a folded paper airplane — or something more like a soft indentation, like the crease in your blankets telling you your cat was just there. It's a verb too: "If you lie on the floor, you'll crease your ball gown!" Etymologists guess that crease comes from crest and its root, which means "to turn or bend."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

crease creases creased creasing

Bavuma had pushed and driven outside off stump to that point but, with a silly point now in place, he was dragged from his crease and tried to force through mid-wicket.

From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026

Android competitors offer larger inner display areas, but Apple focuses heavily on the quality of the hinge and concealing the crease where the phone folds rather than sheer screen real estate, analysts say.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026

An interventional radiology team begins by making a small incision in the crease of the leg.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 22, 2026

When I held the iPhone Duo open, the crease was barely visible.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026

Somehow, it’s embedded under my nails, in the crease of my elbow, in the space between my lashes, and in my teeth.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

September carrots can look almost too virtuous at the farmers market: sturdy bunches, feathery green tops, dirt in the creases.

From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026

Around her, students scribble notes and sketch corrections into their drawings: Watch the creases as the model walks.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 11, 2026

Stilfold uses a blunt wheel to make creases in sheet metal.

From BBC ● Mar. 3, 2026

Netscher has meticulously rendered the garment’s luscious materiality—its fall, folds, creases and bunchings—yet transcended mere description to give us a shimmering vision of white and gray highlighted by splashes of red.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 24, 2026

Boots reached over his shoulder and touched the creases on his wrists.

From "Gregor the Overlander" by Suzanne Collins

I certainly stood out among the perfectly creased khaki pants and palm combs and top-buttoned flannels contrasted with my clueless bowl haircut and Ninja Turtle suspenders.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

In fact a laundry list of laundry terms could apply: folded, pressed, softened, agitated, pleated, creased, puckered.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026

As she spoke, Lina's face creased and she cupped it in her hands.

From BBC ● Feb. 5, 2026

Khalil’s tired eyes creased at the corners, and a smile spread slowly across his face.

From Slate ● May 2, 2025

The next morning, she’d thought it was a bizarre dream until she saw that creased note still lying on her dresser.

From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng

He prefers reading newspapers over screens, still creasing the pages into a subway fold like he was taught as a child.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 3, 2026

At this point, both the kids are born, Jimmy and Rosie, and they're at the door, just creasing themselves with laughter.

From Salon ● Feb. 19, 2024

The 43-year-old looks back at that scar, a smile creasing his face.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 10, 2023

"Overall it's not too bad for its age - but there is visible creasing and dust to the covering and some areas require a drop of glue to make good," the seller added.

From BBC ● Jan. 26, 2023

The next day, Boobie came to the field house with a huge smile creasing his face.

From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger

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Related Words

• crinkle
• pleat
• pucker
• wrinkle

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