Verb
creep up on (third-person singular simple present creeps up on, present participle creeping up on, simple past and past participle crept up on)
(transitive) To sneakily arrive near someone in a position to startle them; to startle someone by creeping up behind them.
Beginnings are sudden, but also insidious. They creep up on you sideways, they keep to the shadows, they lurk unrecognized. Then, later, they spring. Margaret Atwood
Ever have an event creep up on you and forget you’re a few shades lighter than you’d like to be before you slipped on that dress? Source: Internet
They can creep up on you when you least imagine, or when you are in a situation that brings up fear, like public speaking or driving in inclement weather. Source: Internet
Thick blackout curtains in that wonderfully soothing shade of deep blue ensure jetlag won’t creep up on your sleep-in. Source: Internet
Stress is one of those sneaky things that can creep up on us and have a profound and even devastating effect. Source: Internet