ENGLISH
REFERENCE

creep out on

phr. v..
C1 Advanced Oxford

phr. v.. to move slowly and quietly toward someone or something without being seen.

phr. v.. to approach a target stealthily and cautiously, typically to avoid detection or to surprise; often used in hunting or tactical contexts.


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.

Particles
out on
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
creep + out + on + object
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'.

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