Advertisement
steal
[steel]
verb (used with object)
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)
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.
steal
/ stiːl /
verb
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 stealthily
they stole along the corridor
(intr) to pass unnoticed
the hours stole by
(tr) to win or gain by strategy or luck, as in various sports
to steal a few yards
to obtain an advantage over, esp by a secret or underhand measure
to detract from the attention due to another by forestalling him
to be looked upon as the most interesting, popular, etc, esp unexpectedly
noun
the act of stealing
something stolen or acquired easily or at little cost
Other Word Forms
- stealable adjective
- stealer noun
- nonstealable adjective
- outsteal verb (used with object)
Word History and Origins
Origin of steal1
Word History and Origins
Origin of steal1
Idioms and Phrases
steal someone's thunder, to appropriate or use another's idea, plan, words, etc.
Example Sentences
From his computer being stolen from inside his store, to plants being taken from outside, Pepe is worried about theft now more than ever.
The North Koreans have not only made their thievery more efficient, but have also refined their money-laundering techniques to the point that the stolen booty disappears into the dark reaches of cyberspace within days.
With 39 other subcontracted workers offering statements that they also ate snack from the fridge, the appellate court ruled that "it is difficult to conclude that the defendant had the intent to steal."
But never before had he stolen a game without his bat.
Late on Wednesday, police denied reports that Chakwera had been arrested but confirmed securing a search warrant for his residence after information suggested the stolen dogs were being kept there.
Advertisement
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.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Browse
