creep up on

verb

To sneakily arrive near someone in a position to startle them; to startle someone by creeping up behind them.

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

verbcreep up on (third-person singular simple present creeps up on, present participle creeping up on, simple past and past participle crept up on)

present singular third person creeps up on · participle present creeping up on · participle past crept up on · past crept up on

  1. transitiveTo sneakily arrive near someone in a position to startle them; to startle someone by creeping up behind them.
Cite this entry
APA

creep up on. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/creep%20up%20on

MLA

“creep up on.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/creep%20up%20on. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “creep up on,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/creep%20up%20on.

Source: creep up on on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.