sneak
Americanverb (used without object)
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to go in a stealthy or furtive manner; slink; skulk.
- Synonyms:
- steal
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to act in a furtive or underhand way.
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British Informal. to tattle; inform.
verb (used with object)
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to move, put, pass, etc., in a stealthy or furtive manner.
He sneaked the gun into his pocket.
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to do, take, or enjoy hurriedly or surreptitiously.
to sneak a cigarette.
noun
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a sneaking, underhand, or contemptible person.
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Informal. a stealthy or furtive departure.
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British Informal. tattletale; informer.
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Informal. a sneak preview.
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Cards. the lead of a singleton in a suit other than the trump suit, as in whist.
verb
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(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
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a person who acts in an underhand or cowardly manner, esp as an informer
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a stealthy act or movement
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( as modifier )
a sneak attack
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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.
Related Words
See lurk.
Other Word Forms
- sneakily adverb
- sneakiness noun
- sneaky adjective
Etymology
Origin of sneak
1590–1600; variant of Middle English sniken, Old English snīcan “to creep”; cognate with Old Norse snīkja “to hanker after”
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.
As China liberalizes, some 5,000 miles away, the constraints relax and Ms. Chang sneaks off to enjoy a little Western decadence.
The coffee’s aroma was strong and comforting, and I had to fight the urge to sneak downstairs into Mrs. Wigginbottom’s kitchen and pour myself another cup.
From Literature
Five days into a comprehensive communications blackout, a more chilling picture still sneaks out into the world through Starlink satellite terminals, Iranian technical creativity, and courage.
From BBC
Jonathan realizes the truth as he sneaks up to a hilltop restaurant to listen in on a meeting.
From Los Angeles Times
Miami is a No. 10 seed that somehow failed to win its own conference and only sneaked into the playoffs on the final week of the season.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
