steal
verb (used with object)
to take (the property of another or others) without permission or right, especially secretly or by force.
had stolen
-
past perfectof steal.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
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.
When Thoreau visited the scene a few days later, he “found women who had already altered the gowns of the passengers—presumably including Fuller’s—that their husbands and sons had stolen from the beach.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Pethig was reported to the police by the burglar who had stolen the laptop.
From BBC ● May 11, 2026
DILI, East Timor—Last fall, the Trump administration announced criminal charges and sweeping sanctions against what it said was a transnational criminal syndicate that had stolen billions of dollars from Americans and others through online scams.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 28, 2026
The US charged the 37-year-old, who was born in south-east China, last October with running internet scams from Cambodia that it said had stolen billions in cryptocurrency.
From BBC ● Jan. 7, 2026
He had looked so different in the black suit Farid had stolen for him—like one of Capricorn’s men, which of course was the point of the masquerade.
From "Inkheart" by Cornelia Funke
