Sneak up on Meaning in English
expression
SNEEK-UHP-AHN
SNEEK-UP-ON
Definition
To approach someone or something quietly and secretly, usually so you are not noticed until you are very close. Often used when surprising or scaring someone.
Usage & Nuances
Informal, often playful or used in stories. Common with objects of people or animals. Can be used literally (physically) or metaphorically (an event 'sneaks up on you'). Usually followed by 'someone' or 'something'.
Spanish: acercarse sigilosamente a - sorprender aPortuguese (BR): chegar de mansinho em - pegar de surpresaPortuguese (PT): aproximar-se silenciosamente de - apanhar de surpresaChinese (Simplified): 悄悄靠近 - 偷偷接近Chinese (Traditional): 悄悄靠近 - 偷偷接近Hindi: चुपके से पास आना - अचानक पकड़नाArabic: يقترب من شخص بهدوء - يفاجئBengali: চুপিচুপি কাছে যাওয়া - অপ্রত্যাশিতভাবে কাছে চলে আসাRussian: подкрасться кJapanese: こっそり近づくVietnamese: lén lút tiếp cậnKorean: 몰래 다가가다Turkish: sessizce yaklaşmakUrdu: دبے پاؤں قریب آناIndonesian: mendekati diam-diam
Example Sentences
Don't sneak up on me like that!
basic
The cat likes to sneak up on birds in the garden.
basic
You can't sneak up on him; he's always alert.
basic
Suddenly, a headache sneaked up on me during the meeting.
natural
Time can really sneak up on you when you’re having fun.
natural
He tried to sneak up on his friends for a surprise, but they saw him coming.
natural