Showing results for "creeping"

• present participle of creep.

creeping

American  

[kree-ping] / ˈkri pɪŋ /

noun

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

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

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adjective

1. 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

“It goes by so fast,” Pegula acknowledged of the creeping sense of urgency in pursuit of her first major title.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 4, 2026

In a Moscow suburb, shut-down shops and "for rent" signs reveal the creeping toll of Russia's slowing wartime economy.

From Barron's • Jun. 30, 2026

The gray skies part, the clouds lift and a warm maternal comfort spreads across the film, creeping in like the sun’s rays falling on cobblestones still shining from a sudden downpour.

From Salon • Jun. 29, 2026

The cost of some organic solvents Ajinomoto uses is creeping up, and suppliers have warned they may pass on more.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026

She nods just as the light changes, and within a few minutes, they’re creeping at a snail’s pace down a street lined with mostly boarded-up buildings.

From "Clean Getaway" by Nic Stone

Related Words

• climbing
• spreading