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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.

No one can disagree with Mr. Warsh on the Fed’s mission creep and on the multiplication of inconsistent objectives.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 8, 2026

When you really break down “Alien,” though, you get a riveting story about workplace inequality and the perils of mission creep.

From Salon • Jul. 4, 2025

“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

Previous chief constables at both Dyfed Powys and South Wales have also warned that "mission creep" means core policing duties are affected, while officers "plug the gaps" in other services.

From BBC • Sep. 13, 2021

The term “quarantine” experienced mission creep in 2020, used for everything from closed-off hospital wards to healthy people working from home.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 19, 2021

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