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

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

“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 • May 10, 2024

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

From Washington Post • Dec. 15, 2022

They began to creep up on Penn’s stern.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown