- Main Entry:
- 1sneak

- Pronunciation:
-
\ˈsnēk\
- Function:
- verb
- Inflected Form(s):
- sneaked
\ˈsnēkt\ or snuck
\ˈsnək\; sneak·ing
- Etymology:
- akin to Old English snīcan to sneak along, Old Norse snīkja
- Date:
- 1594
intransitive verb
1
: to go stealthily or furtively : slink <snuck out early>
2
: to act in or as if in a furtive manner
3
: to carry the football on a quarterback sneak
transitive verb
: to put, bring, or take in a furtive or artful manner <sneak a smoke>
—
sneak up on : to approach or act on stealthily
usage From its earliest appearance in print in the late 19th century as a dialectal and probably uneducated form, the past and past participle snuck has risen to the status of standard and to approximate equality with sneaked. It is most common in the United States and Canada but has also been spotted in British and Australian English.