creep up on

Idioms

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.”

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.

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

From BBC • Feb. 27, 2025

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

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 1, 2024

In a theater, where sounds creep up on them, the experience will be great.

From Washington Post • Dec. 15, 2022

“We’re a poor county, one of the poorest in the nation. These exorbitant fines creep up on people,” she said.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 16, 2022

Gideon said it was because sometimes a man’s demons could creep up on him.

From "Moon Over Manifest" by Clare Vanderpool

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