sneak

1 of 3

verb

sneaked ˈsnēkt How to pronounce sneak (audio) or snuck ˈsnək How to pronounce sneak (audio) ; sneaking

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
Sneaked vs. Snuck: Usage Guide

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 U.S. and Canada but has also been spotted in British and Australian English.

sneak

2 of 3

noun

1
: a person who acts in a stealthy, furtive, or shifty manner
2
a
: a stealthy or furtive move
b
: an unobserved departure or escape
3
: sneaker sense 2
usually used in plural
4

sneak

3 of 3

adjective

1
: carried on secretly : clandestine
2
: occurring without warning : surprise
a sneak attack
Phrases
sneak up on
: to approach or act on stealthily
Choose the Right Synonym for sneak

lurk, skulk, slink, sneak mean to behave so as to escape attention.

lurk implies a lying in wait in a place of concealment and often suggests an evil intent.

suspicious men lurking in alleyways

skulk suggests more strongly cowardice or fear or sinister intent.

something skulking in the shadows

slink implies moving stealthily often merely to escape attention.

slunk around the corner

sneak may add an implication of entering or leaving a place or evading a difficulty by furtive or underhanded methods.

sneaked out early

Examples of sneak in a Sentence

Verb They tried to sneak into the movie without paying. She sneaked some cigars through customs. He snuck a few cookies out of the jar while his mother wasn't looking. They caught him trying to sneak food into the theater. Can I sneak a peek at your quiz answers? Noun What a rotten sneak! I should have known not to trust her. He ran a sneak up the middle for a touchdown. Adjective a sneak attack on the nation's capitol
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Well, good luck sneaking into Angie Rito and Scott Tacinelli’s follow-up, San Sabino. Tori Latham, Robb Report, 13 Mar. 2024 In another, Shelton sneaks up on a woman entering a Culver City home through a window. Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024 Last Tuesday, progressives tried to sneak a new, more expansive bill through a different committee. James Erwin, National Review, 12 Mar. 2024 Jimmy Kimmel snuck in a last-minute dig at Matt Damon during the 2024 Oscars. Tommy McArdle, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024 One of the fans who snuck in was identified as Chinese influencer Yang Junhao, who claims to have unknowingly received counterfeit tickets. Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 7 Mar. 2024 Republicans sneak into general election In spite of all the money interest groups spent on Democrats, early results indicated some Republican candidates may move on to November. Lindsey Holden, Sacramento Bee, 6 Mar. 2024 Obst has been sneaking it around in a K-pop tote bag to promote her affection for all things Korean. Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Feb. 2024 The zippers are coated, too, so that moisture can’t sneak in. Chadner Navarro, Travel + Leisure, 27 Feb. 2024
Noun
Other than kicks, the cameras on the uprights can provide unique end zone angles, including on sneaks near the goal line or an aerial view near the pylon. Joe Reedy, USA TODAY, 10 Feb. 2024 Crustaceans could be the sneak play that gets people talking at your party. Chris Morris, Fortune, 6 Feb. 2024 Reps for the services did not immediately have comment, but such sneak uploads are common and challenging for streaming services to police due to the millions of tracks being uploaded to the platforms every day — multiple sources cite as many as 125,000, and probably more. Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 29 Jan. 2024 Facing a fourth and 1 at the 49ers 14-yard line, Jordan Love's QB sneak was called short. Christopher Kuhagen, Journal Sentinel, 20 Jan. 2024 This isn’t the rapper’s first time teaming up with Nike for his own sneaks. Tori Latham, Robb Report, 5 Jan. 2024 The organization announced Monday a fresh rebrand with the unveiling of a new logo, three unique jerseys, and a sneak peak of the first court that will grace Intuit Dome when the doors open in October. Shane Young, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 The Eagles don’t have Hurts working on sneaks anytime else but in a game. Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2023 Throughout the clip, a sneak peak of a new song blares in the background, with a pounding club beat underlining her explicit lyrics. Stephen Daw, Billboard, 7 Feb. 2024
Adjective
Get Ready: Katy Perry Has Released a Sneak Peek of Her New Song And the internet has receipts. Mehera Bonner, Marie Claire, 15 Mar. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sneak.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

akin to Old English snīcan to sneak along, Old Norse snīkja

First Known Use

Verb

1594, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

circa 1643, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

circa 1859, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sneak was in 1594

Dictionary Entries Near sneak

Cite this Entry

“Sneak.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sneak. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

sneak

1 of 3 verb
sneaked ˈsnēkt How to pronounce sneak (audio) or snuck ˈsnək How to pronounce sneak (audio) ; sneaking
1
: to go about in a sly or secret manner
2
: to put, bring, or take in a sly manner

sneak

2 of 3 noun
1
: a person who acts in a secret or sly manner
2
: the act or an instance of sneaking

sneak

3 of 3 adjective
1
: carried on secretly : clandestine
2
: occurring without warning
a sneak attack

More from Merriam-Webster on sneak

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