CREEP

(MOVE SLOWLY) [verb] [I usually + adverb or preposition] [past:] crept - to move slowly, quietly and carefully, often with the body close to the ground, and usually in order to avoid being noticedShe crept through the long grass till she was in a position to fire.When her parents started shouting at each other, Anna used to creep under the table and cry.The traffic was creeping along at a snail's pace.They crept up behind her and suddenly yelled "Boo!"(figurative) Over the last year, the rate of inflation has crept up (= slowly increased) to almost 7%.(figurative) It was only after I turned 60 that old age began to creep up on me (= that I began, finally, to experience it).(figurative literary) A dangerous tiredness crept over (= began to be felt by) her as she drove.(figurative) A mistake has crept in (= got in without anyone noticing) somewhere between sections D and E.(figurative) Doubts began to creep into (= become present in) people's minds about the likely success of the project.