sneak
Americanverb (used without object)
-
sneaks,
present (3rd person singular)
-
sneaked,
past participle, past
-
snuck,
past participle, past
-
sneaking
present participle
-
to go in a stealthy or furtive manner; slink; skulk.
- Synonyms:
- steal
-
to act in a furtive or underhand way.
-
British Informal. to tattle; inform.
verb (used with object)
-
sneaks,
present (3rd person singular)
-
sneaked,
past participle, past
-
snuck,
past participle, past
-
sneaking
present participle
-
to move, put, pass, etc., in a stealthy or furtive manner.
He sneaked the gun into his pocket.
-
to do, take, or enjoy hurriedly or surreptitiously.
to sneak a cigarette.
noun
-
sneaks
plural
-
a sneaking, underhand, or contemptible person.
-
Informal. a stealthy or furtive departure.
-
British Informal. tattletale; informer.
-
Informal. a sneak preview.
-
Cards. the lead of a singleton in a suit other than the trump suit, as in whist.
verb
-
(intr; often foll by along, off, in, etc) to move furtively
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(intr) to behave in a cowardly or underhand manner
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(tr) to bring, take, or put stealthily
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informal (intr) to tell tales (esp in schools)
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informal (tr) to steal
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informal (intr; foll by off, out, away, etc) to leave unobtrusively
noun
-
a person who acts in an underhand or cowardly manner, esp as an informer
-
-
a stealthy act or movement
-
( as modifier )
a sneak attack
-
-
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.
Synonym Usage
See lurk.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
sneaksimple
-
sneakssimple
-
have sneakedperfect
-
have snuckperfect
-
has sneakedperfect
-
has snuckperfect
-
am sneakingprogressive
-
are sneakingprogressive
-
is sneakingprogressive
-
have been sneakingperfect progressive
-
has been sneakingperfect progressive
Past
-
sneakedsimple
-
snucksimple
-
had sneakedperfect
-
had snuckperfect
-
was sneakingprogressive
-
were sneakingprogressive
-
had been sneakingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of sneak
1590–1600; variant of Middle English sniken, Old English snīcan “to creep”; cognate with Old Norse snīkja “to hanker after”
Explanation
The word sneak has many shades of meaning, but all involve doing something in a secretive or stealthy way. If you sneak home after midnight, that means you’re quietly creeping into the house so no one will hear you. In addition to moving furtively, sneak can also mean doing something secretly or slipping something in. You might sneak a cookie when no one is looking, or you might sneak your brother into a concert. You could even sneak a glance at that cute guy in your math class — you do it when you think no one will notice. Sneak has a noun form that describes a furtive person — someone who does a lot of sneaking.
Vocabulary lists containing sneak
Nine Stories
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"On the Menu" and "Find the Adaptations"
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American Street
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
However, after a one-yard catch by Nacua, the 49ers stuffed Stafford’s sneak attempt.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
We would sneak through the forest, to Highway 51.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
Lindsay Johnson: United's defence needs work but they may sneak in fourth.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
MI London need to do likewise in their fixture at Phoenix at 18:30 if they are to sneak into third place.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
But I thought I saw a smile start to sneak its way up to her eyes.
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
Still trying to break the curse, Jet sneaks the family guide to necromancy away from the library where Sally would prefer it remain untouched.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
Fires that start below the surface often begin spontaneously, as organic matter decomposes and creates heat, fueled by oxygen that sneaks in through the cracks.
From Barron's ● Apr. 30, 2026
This is important because retirement sneaks up on most people.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 22, 2026
“But it sneaks up on you. These guys have this fleeting moment of connection.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 9, 2026
“I’m gonna eat one rice. Then I’m gonna eat one French fry, then…” But mostly she sneaks food to the dogs.
From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko
The goofy, R-rated “Starship Troopers” famously tanked domestically among adults, but was a notable hit among teen boys, who sneaked into the flick in droves.
From Salon ● Sep. 9, 2026
According to the criminal complaint, Truelove sneaked into a restricted area of the Rockefeller Plaza lobby just before 9 a.m. on July 16, following an employee who used an identification card to swipe in.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
But team-mate Olav Kooij did not follow and as the riders hesitated, Waerenskjold sneaked through a gap beside the barriers to launch a counter-attack with 400m remaining.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
Only after a nurse sneaked a phone to Johnson was he able to contact his wife.
From Slate ● Jun. 25, 2026
When it was almost dark, Georgie and I sneaked back to the trailer.
From "The Old Willis Place" by Mary Downing Hahn
But Warrington snuck past Leeds Rhinos, and Wakefield Trinity then stunned the whole of rugby league as they demolished Wigan on the Warriors' own patch to make it to Old Trafford.
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
In short: Wilson snuck a 2,700-year-old poem through the gates of mainstream taste — and after that victory, her arrogance left her marooned.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
Substitute Vladimir Smicer snuck another from long range before a striding Gerrard was clipped by Gennaro Gattuso.
From BBC ● May 28, 2026
Gannon Ken Van Dyke, placed a series of lucrative trades in the days and immediate hours before his colleagues in the service snuck into Caracas and took Maduro.
From Slate ● Apr. 24, 2026
I added another thanks for her uncovered hair, and the way she whistled to herself as she rode—and snuck in a plea that she would marry me someday.
From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri
AI agents are breaking through safeguards, sneaking into outside systems and hiding from monitoring.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
Simon soon picks up a handheld CRT device to help with sneaking - a clever updated version of another staple of the Silent Hill series: the crackling radio.
From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026
He also learned to avoid pickoffs by watching for the shadows of opponents sneaking up behind him.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026
The tale of Donald Trump sneaking off Air Force One in a catering truck captured public attention for many reasons.
From Salon ● Aug. 17, 2026
Pong kept sneaking looks at his friend, who wore a deep scowl.
From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat
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