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 figurativelyOld 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
While Edge has been creeping up on Chrome—to an extent, Google’s browser still dominates the Windows desktop market with four-times the number of Edge users, even as Microsoft’s browser has grown its market share a couple of points in 2024.
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Zak Doffman, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2024
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
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Zak Doffman, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2024
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
See all Example Sentences for creep up on
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Cite this Entry
“Creep up on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/creep%20up%20on. Accessed 8 Jan. 2025.
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