creep up on

Idioms  

1. Advance slowly or stealthily, as in The cat crept up on the bird, or Autumn is creeping up on us. This expression is recorded in slightly different form——from the 15th century on. One of the Hymns to the Virgin and Christ (c. 1430) has “Now age has cropen [crept] up on me ful stille.”

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Example Sentences

As we discover in Parenthood, the mother spider gives her life for her spiderlings, who, when the time is right, slowly but surely creep up on her and their other elderly relatives en masse and eat them alive... making room for the new generation.

From BBC

Cramps can creep up on those who misjudge their pre-match routine.

From BBC

The heat and dryness means sweat evaporates quickly, so it’s easy for dehydration to creep up on you.

From Los Angeles Times

“Music can creep up on you. We want this to grow.”

From Seattle Times

“You need to take care of these maintenance items because they’re going to creep up on you and cost you ten times as much later,” she said.

From Seattle Times