Synonyms

creeping

American

[kree-ping] / ˈkri pɪŋ /

noun

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

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

adjective

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It isn’t the first such threat or deadline, but some hope is creeping in to markets of a potential cease-fire.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

That doesn’t mean prices for consumers haven’t been creeping up.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026

"Mascots were there to grab the crowd's attention, but often the mascot would be creeping up behind me as I was sat photographing the game," she says.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

The season just seems to get longer every year, creeping into the spring and summer months, with awards heavyweights like “Sinners” and “One Battle After Another” dropping mere months after the last Oscar ceremony.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 15, 2026

If someone was creeping up behind me, I would never know it.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023