sneak
Americanverb (used without object)
-
sneaks,
present (3rd person singular)
-
sneaked,
past participle, past
-
snuck,
past participle, past
-
sneaking
present participle
-
to go in a stealthy or furtive manner; slink; skulk.
- Synonyms:
- steal
-
to act in a furtive or underhand way.
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British Informal. to tattle; inform.
verb (used with object)
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sneaks,
present (3rd person singular)
-
sneaked,
past participle, past
-
snuck,
past participle, past
-
sneaking
present participle
-
to move, put, pass, etc., in a stealthy or furtive manner.
He sneaked the gun into his pocket.
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to do, take, or enjoy hurriedly or surreptitiously.
to sneak a cigarette.
noun
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sneaks
plural
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a sneaking, underhand, or contemptible person.
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Informal. a stealthy or furtive departure.
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British Informal. tattletale; informer.
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Informal. a sneak preview.
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Cards. the lead of a singleton in a suit other than the trump suit, as in whist.
verb
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(intr; often foll by along, off, in, etc) to move furtively
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(intr) to behave in a cowardly or underhand manner
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(tr) to bring, take, or put stealthily
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informal (intr) to tell tales (esp in schools)
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informal (tr) to steal
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informal (intr; foll by off, out, away, etc) to leave unobtrusively
noun
-
a person who acts in an underhand or cowardly manner, esp as an informer
-
-
a stealthy act or movement
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( as modifier )
a sneak attack
-
-
informal an unobtrusive departure
Usage
First recorded in writing toward the end of the 19th century in the United States, snuck has become in recent decades a standard variant past tense and past participle of the verb sneak : Bored by the lecture, he snuck out the side door. Snuck occurs frequently in fiction and in journalistic writing as well as on radio and television: In the darkness the sloop had snuck around the headland, out of firing range. It is not so common in highly formal or belletristic writing, where sneaked is more likely to occur. Snuck is the only spoken past tense and past participle for many younger and middle-aged persons of all educational levels in the U. S. and Canada. Snuck has occasionally been considered nonstandard, but it is so widely used by professional writers and educated speakers that it can no longer be so regarded.
Synonym Usage
See lurk.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
sneaksimple
-
sneakssimple
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have sneakedperfect
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have snuckperfect
-
has sneakedperfect
-
has snuckperfect
-
am sneakingprogressive
-
are sneakingprogressive
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is sneakingprogressive
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have been sneakingperfect progressive
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has been sneakingperfect progressive
Past
-
sneakedsimple
-
snucksimple
-
had sneakedperfect
-
had snuckperfect
-
was sneakingprogressive
-
were sneakingprogressive
-
had been sneakingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of sneak
1590–1600; variant of Middle English sniken, Old English snīcan “to creep”; cognate with Old Norse snīkja “to hanker after”
Explanation
The word sneak has many shades of meaning, but all involve doing something in a secretive or stealthy way. If you sneak home after midnight, that means you’re quietly creeping into the house so no one will hear you. In addition to moving furtively, sneak can also mean doing something secretly or slipping something in. You might sneak a cookie when no one is looking, or you might sneak your brother into a concert. You could even sneak a glance at that cute guy in your math class — you do it when you think no one will notice. Sneak has a noun form that describes a furtive person — someone who does a lot of sneaking.
Vocabulary lists containing sneak
Nine Stories
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"On the Menu" and "Find the Adaptations"
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American Street
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
However, after a one-yard catch by Nacua, the 49ers stuffed Stafford’s sneak attempt.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
McVay called a quarterback sneak for 38-year-old Stafford, despite the fact that he had not scored a rushing touchdown in four years and was 0-for-2 on fourth-down sneaks last year.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
Lindsay Johnson: United's defence needs work but they may sneak in fourth.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
A family once tried to sneak a pet parrot into the buffet, tucking it into a wagon next to their small child.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
One day, he almost made it inside, but the niece and the housekeeper caught him trying to sneak in.
From "Adventures of Don Quixote" by Argentina Palacios
Her father secures a farm job on land nearby, and as Robin’s family settles into the meager accommodation provided for laborers, Robin sneaks off to probe the secrets of the great house.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 15, 2026
Fires that start below the surface often begin spontaneously, as organic matter decomposes and creates heat, fueled by oxygen that sneaks in through the cracks.
From Barron's ● Apr. 30, 2026
This is important because retirement sneaks up on most people.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 22, 2026
“But it sneaks up on you. These guys have this fleeting moment of connection.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 9, 2026
While they’re busy making sure my box is ready, Bob sneaks over.
From "The One and Only Ivan" by Katherine Applegate
The Seagulls sneaked a win at the Stadium of Light last season and this will be just as close - but this time the points will be shared.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
The goofy, R-rated “Starship Troopers” famously tanked domestically among adults, but was a notable hit among teen boys, who sneaked into the flick in droves.
From Salon ● Sep. 9, 2026
Yet the price of oil has stayed around $80, in part due to the 8 million barrels a day that U.S. officials say is being sneaked out of the Strait.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
They snatched real credentials, sneaked around in different systems and eventually grabbed at least some of the information they were after.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
The Soviets had sneaked in the parts, he said, and assembled them in the embassy attic.
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
Unfortunately for them, Aegon had snuck out of King’s Landing with the help of Larys Strong.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2026
Substitute Vladimir Smicer snuck another from long range before a striding Gerrard was clipped by Gennaro Gattuso.
From BBC ● May 28, 2026
Gannon Ken Van Dyke, placed a series of lucrative trades in the days and immediate hours before his colleagues in the service snuck into Caracas and took Maduro.
From Slate ● Apr. 24, 2026
The band joked they had snuck in a vial of their own tears to promote their single A Tear in Space, and pretended to hide them in the capsule.
From BBC ● Apr. 10, 2026
She had, however, snuck over, peeked through the patio doors, and listened.
From "Dog Squad" by Chris Grabenstein
Simon soon picks up a handheld CRT device to help with sneaking - a clever updated version of another staple of the Silent Hill series: the crackling radio.
From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026
It’s my way of sneaking a bit of Poirot in and seeing what Miss Marple made of him.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
He also learned to avoid pickoffs by watching for the shadows of opponents sneaking up behind him.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026
The tale of Donald Trump sneaking off Air Force One in a catering truck captured public attention for many reasons.
From Salon ● Aug. 17, 2026
I consider sneaking back into bed, trying to fall asleep, as I should.
From "The Sea in Winter" by Christine Day
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.
