creep up on

phrasal verb

crept up on; creeping up on; creeps up on

informal

: to slowly and quietly move closer to (someone) without being noticed

We tried to creep up on them but they heard our footsteps.

—often used figuratively

Old age creeps up on us.

The deadline had crept up on them.

Examples of creep up on in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

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The 61-year-old doctor was leaving his Woodland Hills medical practice after work on Aug. 23 when a masked man crept up on him and shot him in the back of the head, said Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell. —

Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 16 Dec. 2024 But their warm dynamic evolves as Rory's attention is drawn from dreams of Harvard to thoughts of boys — and suddenly Lorelai recognizes her own rebellious streak creeping up on her headstrong daughter. —

Shania Russell, EW.com, 16 Dec. 2024 Perhaps this problem had been creeping up on us for a while, but there is no denying it now. —

Glen Koen, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024 How to age on one’s own terms has been debated for years, but fatigue with dermal filler has been slowly creeping up on the masses. —

Audrey Noble, Vogue, 21 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for creep up on