steal

[ steel ]

/ stil /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR steal ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), stole, sto·len, steal·ing.

to take (the property of another or others) without permission or right, especially secretly or by force: A pickpocket stole his watch.

to appropriate (ideas, credit, words, etc.) without right or acknowledgment.

to take, get, or win insidiously, surreptitiously, subtly, or by chance: He stole my girlfriend.

to move, bring, convey, or put secretly or quietly; smuggle (usually followed by away, from, in, into, etc.): They stole the bicycle into the bedroom to surprise the child.

Baseball. (of a base runner) to gain (a base) without the help of a walk or batted ball, as by running to it during the delivery of a pitch.

Games. to gain (a point, advantage, etc.) by strategy, chance, or luck.

to gain or seize more than one's share of attention in, as by giving a superior performance: The comedian stole the show.

verb (used without object), stole, sto·len, steal·ing.

to commit or practice theft.

to move, go, or come secretly, quietly, or unobserved: She stole out of the house at midnight.

to pass, happen, etc., imperceptibly, gently, or gradually: The years steal by.

Baseball. (of a base runner) to advance a base without the help of a walk or batted ball.

noun

Informal. an act of stealing; theft.

Informal. the thing stolen; booty.

Informal. something acquired at a cost far below its real value; bargain: This dress is a steal at $40.

Baseball. the act of advancing a base by stealing.

Nearby words

steak au poivre, steak knife, steak set, steak tartare, steakhouse, steal, steal a march on, steal someone blind, steal someone's heart, steal someone's thunder, steal the show

Idioms

steal someone's thunder, to appropriate or use another's idea, plan, words, etc.

Origin of steal

before 900; 1860–65 for def 5; Middle English stelen, Old English stelan; cognate with German stehlen, Old Norse stela, Gothic stilan

Related forms

steal·a·ble, adjectivesteal·er, nounnon·steal·a·ble, adjectiveout·steal, verb (used with object), out·stole, out·sto·len, out·steal·ing.

Can be confused

burglarize mug rip off rob steal (see synonym study at rob)steal steel stele

Word story

Steal and its kindred words come from the Germanic root stel- “to rob, steal” (as in Gothic stilan, Old English, Old Frisian, Old High German stelan, German stehlen ); the root has no certain relatives outside Germanic.
The idea of secrecy and concealment is a natural association, as in the words derivative of stel-, such as the noun stealth (Middle English stelthe, stelth, from Germanic stēlithō ), and the verb stalk “to follow or observe secretly or cautiously.” One of the current senses of stalk “to follow or harass someone obsessively over a period of time” dates from the early 1980s.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for steal

In “Steal This Episode,” the filmmaker denounces Homer Simpson as an “enemy of art.”
Here’s the Lost Judd Apatow ‘Simpsons’ Episode, Penned by Judd Apatow|Asawin Suebsaeng|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
When they steal things, they want to get all the bonus points.
The Insane $11 Billion Scam at Retailers’ Return Desks|M.L. Nestel|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Watch your back Liam Neeson, here comes Kevin Costner to steal your older-leading-man thunder!
The Biggest Bombs of 2014: ‘Sex Tape,’ Mariah Carey’s Vocals, ‘How I Met Your Mother’ and More|Kevin Fallon|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Murderers tweet in Mexico; a history of Kansas City and did Picasso try to steal the Mona Lisa?
7 Must-Read Stories about Mexican Cartels, Kansas City and Picasso: The Best of The Beast|William Boot|October 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST

And I am able to steal back what was stolen from me as a child.
NPR’s Smooth-Talking Millennial Whisperer|Batya Ungar-Sargon|October 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
After he became used to the dark again he ventured to steal along the wall to the window and peeped in.
The Lone Star Ranger|Zane Grey
Is there any one about to steal the staircase of the Louvre, or the clock from the pavilion of the Tuileries?
Tom Burke Of "Ours", Volume I (of II)|Charles James Lever
Why should it be culpable to steal from a resident, and laudable to do the same thing with a stranger?
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 62, Number 385. November, 1847.|Various
He wanted no ray of light to steal out into the growing darkness and make a target.
The Strength of the Pines|Edison Marshall
Cautiously I get up; I am on all fours, like a cat; and I steal out into the yard.
Jewish Children|Sholem Naumovich Rabinovich

British Dictionary definitions for steal

steal

/ (stiːl) /

verb steals, stealing, stole or stolen

to take (something) from someone, etc without permission or unlawfully, esp in a secret manner

(tr) to obtain surreptitiously

(tr) to appropriate (ideas, etc) without acknowledgment, as in plagiarism

to move or convey stealthilythey stole along the corridor

(intr) to pass unnoticedthe hours stole by

(tr) to win or gain by strategy or luck, as in various sportsto steal a few yards

steal a march on to obtain an advantage over, esp by a secret or underhand measure

steal someone's thunder to detract from the attention due to another by forestalling him

steal the show to be looked upon as the most interesting, popular, etc, esp unexpectedly

noun informal

the act of stealing

something stolen or acquired easily or at little cost

Word Origin for steal

Old English stelan; related to Old Frisian, Old Norse stela Gothic stilan, German stehlen

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

steal

verb (used with object), stole, sto·len, steal·ing.

verb (used without object), stole, sto·len, steal·ing.

noun

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RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Idioms

Origin of steal

Related forms

Can be confused

Word story

Examples from the Web for steal

British Dictionary definitions for steal

steal

verb steals, stealing, stole or stolen

noun informal

Word Origin for steal

Medicine definitions for steal

steal

n.