creep up

verb

as in to sneak up

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of creep up The price of this tiny sports car can still creep up to six figures fairly easily, though. — ArsTechnica, 5 Aug. 2025 That September-like chill will persist Wednesday before temperatures creep up a few more degrees, but still remain a bit cooler than normal on Thursday. — Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2025 As higher tariff rates continue to creep up, stagflation and even a recession become likelier, Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, told NBC News last week. — Rob Wile, NBC news, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for creep up
  1. show up
  2. turn up
Verb
  • While size representation edged upward on paper, conversations throughout the season were dominated by the return of extreme body ideals, which don’t necessarily show up in our data.
    — Amy Francombe, Vogue, 6 July 2026
  • In 1964, the first year numbers were documented, 14 runners showed up for the first race in the series and 66 came to the 10-miler on Labor Day.
    — Lori Riley, Hartford Courant, 6 July 2026
Definition of show up
Verb
  • In one case, a 20-year-old man was caught in a sting operation after anti-corruption officers turned up posing as buyers.
    — Clare Sebastian, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
  • Back in the summer 2002, just weeks after completing a three-peat with the Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant turned up to New York City’s Rucker Park to play in the Entertainer’s Basketball Classic.
    — Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 6 July 2026
Definition of turn up

Browse Nearby Words

creeps up
creep up
creepy
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Creep up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/creep%20up. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All