Phrasal verb
creep into
Definition
phrasal verb. to start happening or appearing in a slow way that you do not notice at first.
phrasal verb. to begin to affect or be part of something gradually and often imperceptibly; frequently used with abstract nouns like doubt, fear, or bias.
Examples
“Doubts began to creep into her mind.”
“As the meeting went on, a note of frustration started to creep into his voice.”
“Despite the author's attempts at objectivity, personal political biases occasionally creep into the narrative, coloring the historical analysis.”
Examples
simple
“Doubts began to creep into her mind.”
contextual
“As the meeting went on, a note of frustration started to creep into his voice.”
complex
“Despite the author's attempts at objectivity, personal political biases occasionally creep into the narrative, coloring the historical analysis.”
Usage
usually followed by an abstract noun or a physical space where something is slowly entering.
Teaching tip
highlight the metaphorical connection to the physical verb 'creep' (moving slowly and quietly) to help students visualize how an idea or feeling 'sneaks' into a situation.
Pitfall
Errors creeped into the report.
Errors crept into the report.
the past tense of 'creep' is the irregular form 'crept'.
Phrasal verb
Particles
into
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
creep + into + object
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/creep-into