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mission creep

British

noun

the tendency for a task, esp a military operation, to become unintentionally wider in scope than its initial objectives

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

He has long criticized the Fed’s political mission creep and understands stable prices are a prerequisite for broad-based prosperity.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 1, 2026

“As with any program, money continues to grow. I always call it mission creep, but suddenly you look around and you’re going, ‘Why are we doing this?

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2025

Worse yet, there was no end in sight as mission creep accelerated into a dash for cash.

From Salon • Sep. 11, 2023

“The fact is, police technology constantly experiences mission creep — meaning equipment reserved only for specific or extreme circumstances ends up being used in increasingly everyday or casual ways,” wrote EFF policy analyst Matthew Guariglia.

From Washington Times • Dec. 1, 2022

Open Democracy, which labels Palantir a "spy-tech" company, argued this clause was "mission creep" and needed public consultation.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2021

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