steal

American  

[steel] / stil /

verb (used with object)

stole, stolen, stealing

1. to take (the property of another or others) without permission or right, especially secretly or by force.

   A pickpocket stole his watch.

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

3. to take, get, or win insidiously, surreptitiously, subtly, or by chance.

   He stole my girlfriend.

4. 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.

5. 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.

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

7. to gain or seize more than one's share of attention in, as by giving a superior performance.

   The comedian stole the show.

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verb (used without object)

stole, stolen, stealing

1. to commit or practice theft.

2. to move, go, or come secretly, quietly, or unobserved.

   She stole out of the house at midnight.

3. to pass, happen, etc., imperceptibly, gently, or gradually.

   The years steal by.

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

noun

1. Informal. an act of stealing; theft.

2. Informal. the thing stolen; booty.

3. Informal. something acquired at a cost far below its real value; bargain.

   This dress is a steal at $40.

4. Baseball. the act of advancing a base by stealing.

idioms

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

steal British  

/ stiːl /

verb

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

2. (tr) to obtain surreptitiously

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

4. to move or convey stealthily

   they stole along the corridor

5. (intr) to pass unnoticed

   the hours stole by

6. (tr) to win or gain by strategy or luck, as in various sports

   to steal a few yards

7. to obtain an advantage over, esp by a secret or underhand measure

8. to detract from the attention due to another by forestalling him

9. to be looked upon as the most interesting, popular, etc, esp unexpectedly

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noun

1. the act of stealing

2. something stolen or acquired easily or at little cost

Other Word Forms

• nonstealable adjective
• outsteal verb (used with object)
• stealable adjective
• stealer noun

Etymology

Origin of steal

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

Explanation

To steal is take something that isn't yours: thieves steal. But a bargain that's so good it's almost like you're getting away with robbery is also called a steal. Stealing is what thieves do: taking things from other people. A bank robber steals money. A mugger steals purses and wallets. People also use steal in other ways. If someone wastes your time, you might say they're stealing your time. A store having a sale might say, "Our prices are a steal!" In baseball, a runner can steal a base. When you see steal, think "take."

Example Sentences

Would opponents be able to steal their signs?

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

Last week, federal authorities arrested eight people and charged 15 in an alleged scheme to steal more than $50 million in healthcare funds by running sham hospice facilities across Southern California.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

Russia's tone, and the attempt to steal the initiative, will make Ukrainians bristle.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

“At $6.99 million it’s still a steal because there’s so much room in there,” Wines notes.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 8, 2026

A criminal mastermind—and it had to be a criminal mastermind, because who else could steal a painting that couldn’t be stolen?

From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day

Related Words

• abduct
• divert
• embezzle
• keep
• kidnap
• loot
• pilfer
• plunder
• ransack
• remove
• strip
• swipe
• take