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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
Personal data may have been stolen in the ransomware attack that forced Asahi to halt beer production, the company has said.
"A generation's worth of wealth is being stolen from us," she said.
Technological innovations undermine the advantages that incumbent companies have, and they allow new companies to steal business from them.
“That means that nobody is going to be able to steal your industry,” he told U.S.
A storm rescheduled most of the weekend’s festivities, so the calm morning felt like a stolen moment of peace.
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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.
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