creep
verb (used without object)
to move slowly with the body close to the ground, as a reptile or an insect, or a person on hands and knees.
has been creeping
-
present perfect progressiveof creep (3rd person singular).present perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that began in the past, has continued continuously, and is still in progress.
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.
That figure has been creeping back up after a decline in 2024 and the first half of 2025.
From Barron's ● Apr. 30, 2026
The company’s employee head count has been creeping back up since its “year of efficiency” cuts in 2023.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 24, 2026
For the past several years, an objectively stupid stock market trade has been creeping further and further into your retirement.
From Slate ● Feb. 3, 2026
While U.S. markets took a Thanksgiving Day break, cryptocurrencies never take a holiday, and bitcoin has been creeping higher since the close of Wall Street trading on Wednesday.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 28, 2025
That was Marjorie's version of that idea of the Endowment of Womanhood which has been creeping into contemporary thought during the last two decades.
From Marriage by H. G. (Herbert George) Wells
