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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

John Quincy Adams swam in a nearby creek.

From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 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

If precipitation is forecast, divers are called out to attach a barrier at the other side of the creek, creating a funnel for debris.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 2026

If the Labour Party is up the creek without a paddle after last week, to revert to Yank lingo, it also finds itself in an anomalous position.

From Salon ● May 10, 2026

The car whips around trees and glides over a creek.

From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas

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

In 2005, researchers uncovered a nearly complete Edmontosaurus skull in the Hell Creek Formation of eastern Montana on land managed by the Bureau of Land Management.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 14, 2026

Bruce Young, 80, a descendant of homesteaders, sat on his porch overlooking Stoner Creek near the Territory 1889 site, and shook his head as a mule deer wandered past.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026

The duo’s last known location was at the 10,300’ level above the High Creek switchbacks at 11 a.m. on Thursday, according to the San Gorgonio Search and Rescue Team.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2026

The next night I had a rehearsal at Worm Creek.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover

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

“A few more Sayler’s Creeks and it will all be over,” he sighs.

From "Lincoln's Last Days: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever" by Bill O'Reilly

The property includes a lodge, a teepee, a basketball court, a number of ponds and creeks, and several hunting areas.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

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

In March, county Supervisor Katrina Foley told residents the county would halt spraying of herbicides in two creeks near Doheny State Beach.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 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

The memories of driving past trees, ponds, lakes, creeks, and rivers flooded back to me from the last time we had driven down three years ago.

From "Gone Crazy in Alabama" by Rita Williams-Garcia