gauntletcreep
/ˈɡɔːntlətˌkriːp/nounVerified NewThe steady multiplication of interview rounds, tasks, and panels for jobs that once required a conversation.
Two interviews became four, four became seven, and a take-home project and a "culture chat" joined somewhere in the middle — for the same mid-level role. Gauntletcreep taxes both sides: candidates burn annual leave on process, and the best ones withdraw before round five.
Etym. — gauntlet + creep, on the "-creep" pattern of silent escalation.
Rel. — entrygulf
Novelty check: NEW · checked 2026-11-08
review evidence: wordstoreview/review-batch-3-04-work.md
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Method: Editorial batch review — per-word exact-form web search (WebSearch/Tavily) per docs/REVIEW-criteria.md §2