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Synonyms

snoop

American  
[snoop] / snup /

verb (used without object)

  1. to prowl or pry; go about in a sneaking, prying way.

noun

  1. an act or instance of snooping.

  2. a person who snoops.

  3. a private detective.

snoop British  
/ snuːp /

verb

  1. (intr; often foll by about or around) to pry into the private business of others

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. a person who pries into the business of others

  2. an act or instance of snooping

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • snooper noun
  • snoopy adjective

Etymology

Origin of snoop

1825–35, < Dutch snoepen to take and eat food on the sly

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.

E2EE has been hailed by privacy experts as the best way to protect conversations from hackers, corporations and even repressive authorities trying to snoop on users.

From BBC • Mar. 3, 2026

Camryn Smith and her daughter showed up to snoop around for the deals at the Americana at Brand in Glendale early Friday morning.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 28, 2025

There is something about a healthy personality that feels repelled by a snoop or a snitch.

From Salon • Sep. 28, 2025

He was invited by HBO to snoop around sets in New York and earmark items — say, the bayonet sword hanging on the wall of Logan Roy’s office — that should be set aside.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 13, 2024

“Stop looking like that. We’ve lost the snoop!’

From "The Thief Lord" by Cornelia Funke

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.