Phrasal verb
creep up on
Definition
phrasal verb. to move slowly and quietly toward someone so they do not see or hear you. You can also use it when a feeling or a date arrives before you realize it.
phrasal verb. to approach someone stealthily or unobserved; figuratively, to reach a state or deadline gradually and imperceptibly.
Examples
“Don't creep up on me like that!”
“I was so busy with work that the deadline for the project really crept up on me.”
“The fatigue of the long journey began to creep up on the hikers as the sun dipped below the horizon.”
Examples
simple
“Don't creep up on me like that!”
contextual
“I was so busy with work that the deadline for the project really crept up on me.”
complex
“The fatigue of the long journey began to creep up on the hikers as the sun dipped below the horizon.”
Usage
always requires an object, which can be a person, a time, or a physical sensation.
Teaching tip
highlight the dual usage: the literal physical movement versus the figurative sense of time or feelings (like tiredness or age) approaching unnoticed.
Pitfall
He crept on me up.
He crept up on me.
this three-part phrasal verb is inseparable; the object must follow both particles.
Phrasal verb
Particles
up on
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
creep + up + on + object
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/creep-up-on