Phrasal verb
creep out on
Definition
phrasal verb. to move slowly and quietly toward someone or something without being seen.
phrasal verb. to approach a target stealthily and cautiously, typically to avoid detection or to surprise; often used in hunting or tactical contexts.
Examples
“The cat started to creep out on the bird.”
“The hunters began to creep out on the deer as it grazed in the clearing.”
“Under the cover of the dense morning fog, the scouts began to creep out on the enemy camp to gather intelligence.”
Examples
simple
“The cat started to creep out on the bird.”
contextual
“The hunters began to creep out on the deer as it grazed in the clearing.”
complex
“Under the cover of the dense morning fog, the scouts began to creep out on the enemy camp to gather intelligence.”
Usage
usually followed by a person or animal as the object.
Teaching tip
this is a rare extension of 'creep up on'; emphasize that 'out' implies moving from a covered position into an open space toward the target.
Pitfall
He creeped out on the target.
He crept out on the target.
the past tense of 'creep' is the irregular form 'crept'.
Phrasal verb
Particles
out on
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
creep + out + on + object
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/creep-out-on