sneak

[sneek]

verb (used without object)

sneaked, snuck, sneaking. 

1. to go in a stealthy or furtive manner; slink; skulk.

   Synonyms: steal

2. to act in a furtive or underhand way.

3. British Informal.,  to tattle; inform.

verb (used with object)

sneaked, snuck, sneaking. 

1. to move, put, pass, etc., in a stealthy or furtive manner.

   He sneaked the gun into his pocket.

2. to do, take, or enjoy hurriedly or surreptitiously.

   to sneak a cigarette.

noun

1. a sneaking, underhand, or contemptible person.

2. Informal.,  a stealthy or furtive departure.

3. British Informal.,  tattletale; informer.

4. sneaker.

5. Informal.,  a sneak preview.

6. Cards.,  the lead of a singleton in a suit other than the trump suit, as in whist.

sneak

/ sniːk /

verb

1. (intr; often foll by along, off, in, etc) to move furtively

2. (intr) to behave in a cowardly or underhand manner

3. (tr) to bring, take, or put stealthily

4. informal,  (intr) to tell tales (esp in schools)

5. informal,  (tr) to steal

6. informal,  (intr; foll by off, out, away, etc) to leave unobtrusively

noun

1. a person who acts in an underhand or cowardly manner, esp as an informer

2. 1. a stealthy act or movement

   2. ( as modifier )

      a sneak attack

3. informal,  an unobtrusive departure

Usage

First recorded in writing toward the end of the 19th century in the United States, snuck has become in recent decades a standard variant past tense and past participle of the verb sneak : Bored by the lecture, he snuck out the side door. Snuck occurs frequently in fiction and in journalistic writing as well as on radio and television: In the darkness the sloop had snuck around the headland, out of firing range. It is not so common in highly formal or belletristic writing, where sneaked is more likely to occur. Snuck is the only spoken past tense and past participle for many younger and middle-aged persons of all educational levels in the U. S. and Canada. Snuck has occasionally been considered nonstandard, but it is so widely used by professional writers and educated speakers that it can no longer be so regarded.

Other Word Forms

• sneakily adverb
• sneakiness noun
• sneaky adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of sneak¹

1590–1600; variant of Middle English sniken, Old English snīcan “to creep”; cognate with Old Norse snīkja “to hanker after”

Word History and Origins

Origin of sneak¹

Old English snīcan to creep; from Old Norse snīkja to hanker after

Synonym Study

See lurk.

Example Sentences

It’s like we were 14 years old trying to sneak it from your parents.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

I quickly snuck back into my hideaway and stayed quiet, listening to the gnarled sounds of this massive animal grazing just feet away from me.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

At these intimate gatherings, the singer gave select fans a sneak peek at her new music, explaining the inspiration for each track and even playing some songs live.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The BBC got a sneak peek at the rice plants before harvest.

Read more on BBC

“Dignity Memorial is attempting to sneak ‘by right’ approvals for their massive 32-acre cemetery without any public process or environmental review.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• ambush 
• crawl 
• creep 
• evade 
• hide 
• slink 
• slip 
• slither 
• smuggle 
• steal