Phrase guide

mission creep

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Gradual unplanned expansion of the objectives, scope, and/or cost of a project, especially a military mission.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic, uncountable

Topics: government, military, politics, war

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

2 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Georgian: ამოცანის შეცვლა (amocanis šecvla) — unplanned change of a mission
  • Polish: zmiana planów — unplanned change of a mission