# creep up on

CEFR B2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/creep-up-on
Updated: 2026-04-24

## Definition

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.

For teachers: 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.

## Pitfalls

- Not "He crept on me up." but "He crept up on me." — this three-part phrasal verb is inseparable; the object must follow both particles.

## Usage notes

- 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.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.