sticky fingers

American  

plural noun

Informal.

1. a propensity to steal.

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sticky fingers Idioms  

1. A propensity to steal, as in You'd better not leave any cash around; she's known for her sticky fingers. This metaphor makes it seem as if valuables adhere naturally to a thief's fingers. [Colloquial; late 1800s]

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Other Word Forms

• sticky-fingered
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of sticky fingers

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sticky fingers

Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay sought reassurance that Murrell "didn't get his sticky fingers on any public money".

From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026

I soon follow suit and, with sticky fingers, reach for all the candies that have caught my eye: super lemon sour suckers, pink lemonade gushers, muscat gummies and soda-flavored hard candies.

From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2025

“I clean 13 rooms a day,” said Dorado, who added that mini-suites with kids are the toughest, because they bring in sand from the beach and smudge the windows with sticky fingers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2023

The saliva coats the papillae, which can act like tiny sticky fingers to help grip prey, David Hu, a biomechanics researcher at the Georgia Institute of Technology, and his colleagues reported in 2017.

From Science Magazine ● May 24, 2023

I drew on a piece of paper with Maisie, teaching her letters, the hot-water-bottle weight and warmth of her on my lap, her sticky fingers in my hair.

From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline