Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

creep up

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.84 in modern English

Syllables: creep- up
IPA

13

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

2

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To advance or increase with stealth, unnoticed (literally or figuratively).

Intransitive verb

Example Sentences

"The lioness has to creep up behind her prey so as not to be noticed."
"Then I was forced to rest; and, sitting down on the ground, saw that the glimmering streak of light had faded, and that the awful blackness of the previous night was creeping up again."
"Her exploration of emotion, too, is slightly muted. You have to stop and consult yourself. Pain — or joy or passion — creep up afterwards. These poems never hit you over the head."
"These days cramped classrooms are all too common, with class sizes creeping up."

Usage

Intransitive verb

Inflected Forms

creeps up (present, singular) creeping up (participle, present) crept up (participle, past) crept up (past)

Synonyms

sneak up

Questions

What does creep up mean?: To advance or increase with stealth, unnoticed (literally or figuratively).

How to pronounce creep up

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “creep up”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
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Repeat and practice — Say “creep up” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.