steal
Americanverb (used with object)
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steals,
present (3rd person singular)
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stole,
past
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stolen,
past participle
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stealing
present participle
-
to take (the property of another or others) without permission or right, especially secretly or by force.
A pickpocket stole his watch.
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to appropriate (ideas, credit, words, etc.) without right or acknowledgment.
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to take, get, or win insidiously, surreptitiously, subtly, or by chance.
He stole my girlfriend.
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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.
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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.
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Games. to gain (a point, advantage, etc.) by strategy, chance, or luck.
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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)
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steals,
present (3rd person singular)
-
stole,
past
-
stolen,
past participle
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stealing
present participle
-
to commit or practice theft.
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to move, go, or come secretly, quietly, or unobserved.
She stole out of the house at midnight.
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to pass, happen, etc., imperceptibly, gently, or gradually.
The years steal by.
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Baseball. (of a base runner) to advance a base without the help of a walk or batted ball.
noun
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steals
plural
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Informal. an act of stealing; theft.
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Informal. the thing stolen; booty.
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Informal. something acquired at a cost far below its real value; bargain.
This dress is a steal at $40.
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Baseball. the act of advancing a base by stealing.
idioms
verb
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to take (something) from someone, etc without permission or unlawfully, esp in a secret manner
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(tr) to obtain surreptitiously
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(tr) to appropriate (ideas, etc) without acknowledgment, as in plagiarism
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to move or convey stealthily
they stole along the corridor
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(intr) to pass unnoticed
the hours stole by
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(tr) to win or gain by strategy or luck, as in various sports
to steal a few yards
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to obtain an advantage over, esp by a secret or underhand measure
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to detract from the attention due to another by forestalling him
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to be looked upon as the most interesting, popular, etc, esp unexpectedly
noun
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the act of stealing
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something stolen or acquired easily or at little cost
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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stealsimple
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stealssimple
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have stolenperfect
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has stolenperfect
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am stealingprogressive
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are stealingprogressive
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is stealingprogressive
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have been stealingperfect progressive
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has been stealingperfect progressive
Past
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stolesimple
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had stolenperfect
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was stealingprogressive
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were stealingprogressive
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had been stealingperfect progressive
Future
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."
Vocabulary lists containing steal
Baseball: A Lexicon
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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:
Thieves have exploited antiquated magnetic stripes on benefits cards to steal hundreds of millions of public dollars.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
It has undoubtedly led to new opportunities -- including the role of Rogue, an X-Men character who can steal other mutants' powers, as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
From Barron's ● Sep. 13, 2026
These crimes threaten what many consider invaluable artefacts of historical and cultural value enjoyed by the public - although some people argue they steal "from the rich, who cares?"
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026
Entering Tuesday, Smith had already thrown out three baserunners attempting to steal in his first week back in action.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
Fred still had more—food that he had hidden in the barn—and when we took even that away he began to steal tomatoes and potatoes from the garden.
From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen
Nobody wants a system that goes rogue, deceives users, steals data or acts maliciously.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
“His physical abilities were flooring,” said Tracy, who managed Pride during his best minor-league season, when he hit .356 with 15 homers and 21 steals in 50 games for Harrisburg.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026
"The great Guinness robbery" is the Daily Star's top story, headlining on "truck gang steals 70k pints".
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
The bad software, found at sites posing as game-maker RockStar Games, steals credentials, cookies and other information.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
“They mention how Anna May steals the scene,” I added awkwardly.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
Floyd Samba's scintillating first-team debut not only stole the show at Etihad Stadium on Thursday but also snatched all the headlines away from another high-profile teenager in Manchester.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
When thieves broke into a French museum earlier this week and stole four paintings by the impressionist artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir, worth millions of euros, not everyone was surprised.
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026
Yet despite the star-studded cast—and Kelce’s stylish ensembles—it was his fluffy four-legged companion that ultimately stole the show.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 7, 2026
People vandalized and stole Ponce’s whiteboards, adding a dimension of drama to the tracker.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026
Then once things had finally settled down and the light was out and little Lord Sebastian was asleep, I stole away.
From "Secrets at Sea" by Richard Peck
But the Agriculture Department said the federal government replaced $360 million in benefits stolen from 754,000 households between October 2022 and December 2024, before Congress withdrew that authority.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
Opal bosses say tens of thousands of pounds worth of stolen goods have been recovered.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
Jurors were also informed that Walters’ partial fingerprint was found on the white Spencer’s bag holding the cache of stolen firearms that Oxford turned over to police.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
Asheville police credit Flock with helping recover hundreds of stolen vehicles, find children abducted by relatives, and advance investigations, including after a July 4th-weekend shooting.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
Jack grabbed the magic bridle and stuck it into his bag, while May glanced over at the horse the Huntsman had stolen.
From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley
The BBC has been given special access to a police unit that says it has been disrupting organised crime gangs responsible for stealing millions of pounds worth of goods from shops across the UK.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
When former first-grade teacher Ranah Ahmed Burney saw it circulating, she was reminded of a student who wasn’t allowed sugar at home and had begun stealing cookies from a classmate’s lunchbox.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
The article had pictures of Durham Prison, revealing that "the men who were found guilty of stealing a fortune in mailbags spend their week stitching them for nine shillings".
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
Prosecutors will make their opening statements Wednesday in a case that accuses Huawei of systematically stealing trade secrets from American companies and misleading banks about its business in Iran and North Korea.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
Once, the noon aide accused me of stealing the equipment-room key, and they called Mom to the principal’s office.
From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko
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.
