Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense sneaks, present participle sneaking, past tense, past participle sneakedlanguage note: The form snuck is also used in American English for the past tense and past participle.
1. verb
If you sneak somewhere, you go there very quietly on foot, trying to avoid being seen or heard.
Sometimes he would sneak out of his house late at night to be with me. [VERB adverb/preposition]
Don't sneak away and hide. [VERB adverb/preposition]
Synonyms: slink, slip, steal, creep More Synonyms of sneak
2. verb
If you sneak something somewhere, you take it there secretly.
He smuggled papers out each day, photocopied them, and snuck them back. [VERB noun preposition/adverb]
He reckons he can sneak you some free nachos. [VERB noun noun]
3. verb
If you sneak a look at someone or something, you secretly have a quick look at them.
You sneak a look at your watch to see how long you've got to wait. [VERB noun preposition]
4. See also sneaking
Phrasal verbs:
See sneak up on
More Synonyms of sneak
sneak in British English
(sniːk)
verb
1. (intr; often foll by along, off, in, etc)
to move furtively
2. (intransitive)
to behave in a cowardly or underhand manner
3. (transitive)
to bring, take, or put stealthily
4. (intransitive) informal, mainly British
to tell tales (esp in schools)
5. (transitive) informal
to steal
6. (intr; foll by off, out, away, etc) informal
to leave unobtrusively
noun
7.
a person who acts in an underhand or cowardly manner, esp as an informer
8.
a.
a stealthy act or movement
b.
(as modifier)
a sneak attack
9. British informal
an unobtrusive departure
Derived forms
sneaky (ˈsneaky)
adjective
sneakily (ˈsneakily)
adverb
sneakiness (ˈsneakiness)
noun
Word origin
Old English snīcan to creep; from Old Norse snīkja to hanker after
sneak in American English
(snik)
verb intransitiveWord forms: sneaked or US, Informal snuck, ˈsneaking
1.
to move quietly and stealthily so as to avoid being seen or heard; go furtively
2.
to be a sneak; behave in a stealthy, underhanded, or cowardly manner
verb transitive
3.
to give, put, carry, take, etc. secretly or in a stealthy, sneaking manner
noun
4.
a person who sneaks; stealthy, underhanded, contemptible person
5.
an act of sneaking
6. US
sneaker
adjective
7.
without warning; stealthy
a sneak attack
Idioms:
sneak out of
Word origin
prob. < OE *snecan, akin to snican, to crawl: for IE base see snail
Examples of 'sneak' in a sentence
sneak
Are you planning another book and can you give us a sneak peek?
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Soon a stone had sneaked back on.
The Sun (2015)
He sat uncomfortably in isolation surrounded by empty seats and had to be sneaked away from the ground.
The Sun (2008)
If the users do not trust the watchers they will look for ways to sneak past the guards unseen.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Thousands of you have already visited my website to get a sneak peek at the impressive piece of software.
The Sun (2010)
She went to look and one sneaked in, taking her key.
The Sun (2015)
West tried the sneak attack of a club v 3NT.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
We have a sneaking suspicion it won't be her last.
The Sun (2014)
He clearly felt bad about something, to sneak off like that.
The Sun (2016)
Get a sneak preview, with wine and good chat.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
She sneaked a look at him, a quick one.
Tepper, Sheri S. A Plague of Angels (1993)
We'd sneak back for cups of coffee or lunch.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Here West tried the sneak attack of a club.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
And yet there is something sneaking about it that outrages the American sense of fairness.
Andy Dougan THE HUNTING OF MAN (2004)
So horrible you have to look away... and yet your eyes keep sneaking back.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
You'll keep coming back to sneak astonished looks at these pages long after you have finished it.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Nonetheless we cannot shake off a sneaking suspicion that great wisdom is being imparted and that it might be prudent discreetly to take notes.
The Times Literary Supplement (2012)
I have a sneaking suspicion that there were no real safety problems.
The Sun (2012)
This is a sneak attack, a rearguard action by those who still want to see statutory control of the press.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
I was part of a group given a sneak preview before it opened on Thursday.
The Sun (2012)
In other languages
sneak
British English: sneak VERB
If you sneak somewhere, you go there very quietly on foot, trying to avoid being seen or heard.
Sometimes he would sneak out of his house late at night.
American English: sneak
Brazilian Portuguese: esgueirar-se
Chinese: 偷偷地走
European Spanish: moverse sigilosamente
French: se faufiler
German: schleichen
Italian: sgattaiolare
Japanese: そっと歩く
Korean: 살금살금 가다
European Portuguese: esgueirar-se
Latin American Spanish: moverse sigilosamente
Chinese translation of 'sneak'
sneak
(sniːk)
Word forms:ptppUS, also snuck
vi
to sneak in/out偷偷溜进(進)/出 (tōutōu liūjìn/chū)
vt
to sneak a look at sth偷看一眼某物 (tōukàn yī yǎn mǒuwù)
to sneak sb/sth into a place将(將)某人/某物偷带(帶)进(進)一个(個)地方 (jiāng mǒurén/mǒuwù tōu dàijìn yī gè dìfang)
n(c)
(inf, = telltale) 告密者 (gàomìzhě) (个(個), gè)
All related terms of 'sneak'
sneak up
▶ to sneak up on sb 悄悄地接近某人 qiāoqiāo de jiējìn mǒurén