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creep up on

creep up on
C c

Transcription

    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [kreep uhp on, awn]
    • /krip ʌp ɒn, ɔn/
    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [kreep uhp on, awn]
    • /krip ʌp ɒn, ɔn/

Definitions of creep up on words

  • phrasal verb creep up on If you creep up on someone, you move slowly closer to them without being seen by them. 3
  • phrasal verb creep up on If a feeling or state creeps up on you, you hardly notice that it is beginning to affect you or happen to you. 3
  • verb without object creep up on to move slowly with the body close to the ground, as a reptile or an insect, or a person on hands and knees. 1
  • verb without object creep up on to approach slowly, imperceptibly, or stealthily (often followed by up): We crept up and peeked over the wall. 1
  • verb without object creep up on to move or advance slowly or gradually: The automobile crept up the hill. Time just seems to creep along on these hot summer days. 1
  • verb without object creep up on to sneak up behind someone or without someone's knowledge (usually followed by up on): The prisoners crept up on the guard and knocked him out. 1

Information block about the term

Origin of creep up on

First appearance:

before 900
One of the 4% oldest English words
before 900; Middle English crepen, Old English crēopan; cognate with Dutch kruipen, Old Norse krjūpa

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Creep up on

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation

creep up on popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 94% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".

creep up on usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

See also

Matching words

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