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

Etymology

Origin of crease

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

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

Ben Duckett played an awful drive to be caught at mid-off and Cox was trapped on the crease to be lbw, both to Khurram Shahzad.

From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026

Minimizing the crease is a priority for Apple, says Naranjo.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

During the procedure, an interventional radiology team makes a small incision near the crease of the leg.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 23, 2026

His best asset before June was having a body big enough to impede opposing goaltenders’ vision in the crease.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 13, 2026

I looked at the crease within her brow, newly carved since we had been deported.

From "Between Shades of Gray" by Ruta Sepetys

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

Because while the long hair, the mustache and the Mercedes are all gone, a broad smile still creases the old goalie’s face.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 12, 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

Her face is warm and flushed, but the little creases in the corners of her eyes always make me smile back.

From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan

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

“No matter what I do, the beds still look a bit creased and worn, even grubby, in pictures.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 5, 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 red leather cover was creased and the deckled pages were getting grubby.

From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly

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

"We've calmed down," Amfo confirmed, creasing with laughter.

From BBC ● Mar. 12, 2024

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

He began to punch in a response when the dispatcher hurried into the room with a look of deep anxiety creasing her face.

From Slate ● Nov. 26, 2022

“I wanted to, Todd,” she says, her forehead creasing.

From "The Knife of Never Letting Go" by Patrick Ness

Related Words

• crinkle
• pleat
• pucker
• wrinkle