peek

play

verb \ ˈpēk \

Definition of peek

intransitive verb

1 a :to look furtively

A little girl peeked around the corner of the chair at him.

b :to peer through a crack or hole or from a place of concealment —often used with in or out

peeked in through the window
—J. M. Flagler

peeked out at us from behind the curtains
—Winifred Bambrick

2 :to take a brief look :glance

peeked ahead to the next chapter to see what would happen

See peek defined for English-language learners

See peek defined for kids

Examples of peek in a Sentence

A little girl peeked around the corner of the chair at him.
Close your eyes, and no peeking!
She peeked ahead to the next chapter to see what happened next.
He allowed some of his friends to peek at his next painting.

Recent Examples of peek from the Web

Jameel's nose and mouth peek out from behind her shoulder.

— erica gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Rihanna Tries to Hide Her New Man Under Her Umbrella," 17 Aug. 2017
Because I’m heavily distracted by the condom wrapper flopped on top of a stinky pile of clothing behind you...and is that your PlayStation peeking out from underneath the gym shorts?

— sophie saint thomas, Allure, "The 9 Do’s And Don’ts Of Dick Pics," 14 July 2017
But for years, the Catholic parish was typically closed outside of traditional mass hours, leaving visitors no way to peek inside.

— caroline hallemann, Town & Country, "The Church Where Jackie Married JFK Opens to Tourists," 10 July 2017
Yes, in America, unlike Russia, there’s a vibrant alternative, but, in some parts of America, that alternative barely peeks through, as this report from rural Iowa notes: Most people here watch Fox News, and have for a generation.

— andrew sullivan, Daily Intelligencer, "Why Republicans Let Trump Take Over Their Party," 7 July 2017
Out walking the dog, weeding, planting, getting the mail — these are chances to peek into your lawn and see what’s really there.

— kenneth setzer, miamiherald, "Weed’s tale: the beguiling marsh pennywort," 6 July 2017
At one homicide scene in the district, onlookers peeked around the entrance to the Green Line station at Pulaski Road and Lake Street, trying to get a glimpse of the body of a man chased down and shot early Wednesday.

— peter nickeas, chicagotribune.com, "More than 100 people shot in Chicago over long Fourth of July weekend," 5 July 2017
Wright peeked through a hole in the front door, and the man shoved something through and poked her eye, which angered her.

— haley hansen, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Milwaukee woman set deadly house fire to get boyfriend out of house, charge says," 21 June 2017
To dissect a novel (the tragedy of The Goldfinch or pretentiousness of Private Citizens) is to peek into someone’s interior life ten minutes into meeting them.

— jason chen, The Cut, "Delete Grindr. Join Book Club.," 20 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'peek.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of peek

Middle English piken

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

peek Synonyms

Synonyms

browse, dip, glimpse, glint, glance, skim

Antonyms

gaze, stare

Related Words

keek [chiefly Scottish], peep; blink, squint; look over, peruse, rake, scan

Near Antonyms

examine, overlook, oversee, question, survey; study, view; peer, pry; gawk, goggle, rubberneck; leer, ogle

peek

noun

Definition of peek

1 :a furtive look

2 :a brief look :glance

Examples of peek in a Sentence

took a peek at her Christmas gift hidden in the closet

Recent Examples of peek from the Web

The ministry will share details of the plan with employers’ lobby Medef at a meeting on Tuesday, with France’s two largest unions -- CFDT and CGT -- getting their peek on Wednesday.

— angeline benoit, Bloomberg.com, "French Unions Fret as Macron Readies Labor-Law Upheaval," 21 Aug. 2017
Even though clouds covered much of the sky Monday afternoon, and although this area did not offer up the same kind of ideal viewing venue as Carbondale, many people donned their coveted safety glasses to get a peek at the historic American eclipse.

— mike isaacs, chicagotribune.com, "Lincolnwood School District 74 hosted gazers to view historic solar eclips," 21 Aug. 2017
Rafael Nadal sneaked a peek while practicing for the United States Open in New York, and the Minnesota Twins gathered on the infield at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago hours before a game against the White Sox.

— marc tracy, New York Times, "Stop Everything for the Eclipse? It Depends on the Team, and the Coach," 21 Aug. 2017
Check out an exclusive sneak peek of tonight's episode below.)

— mark shrayber, Cosmopolitan, "Siesta Key Star Madisson on Alex's Charm and Why She's Done With Him for Good," 21 Aug. 2017
Scroll through to take a peek inside the 1312 John McCain Road property filled with one-of-kind southern elegance.

— katina beniaris, Country Living, "This Texas Mansion Has the Longest Driveway You'll Ever See," 18 Aug. 2017
The sneak peek was part of Indian Prairie School District 204's annual Kindergarten Preview Day.

— suzanne baker, Naperville Sun, "Kindergarten Preview Day aims to ease fears of kids and parents alike," 17 Aug. 2017
Trip Highlight: Showing our Bridal, Pre-Fall 2017 and Fall 2017 collections, with a sneak peek into Resort 2018, for the first time at Arab Fashion Week.

— carrie goldberg, Harper's BAZAAR, "Just Back From...Dubai," 16 Aug. 2017
Try the museum anyway: The house itself offers an intriguing peek into daily life in the 18th century.

— erin blakemore, Smithsonian, "Seven Must-See Museums in Austria," 14 Aug. 2017

Origin and Etymology of peek

see ¹peek

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1636

See Words from the same year

peek Synonyms

Synonyms

cast, eye, gander, glance, glimpse, look, peep, regard, sight, view

Related Words

gape, gaze, glare, leer, ogle, stare; side-glance; squinny, squint; coup d'oeil

PEEK Defined for English Language Learners

peek

play

verb

Definition of peek for English Language Learners

: to look at someone or something secretly especially from a hidden place
: to look at something briefly
: to show slightly : to be slightly visible

PEEK Defined for Kids

peek

play

verb \ ˈpēk \

Definition of peek for Students

peeked; peeking

1 :to look in a sneaky or cautious way

He peeked through the bushes.

2 :to take a quick glance

I peeked at the next chapter.

peek

noun

Definition of peek for Students

:a quick or sly look

Learn More about peek

See words that rhyme with peek Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for peek Spanish Central: Translation of peek Nglish: Translation of peek for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of peek for Arabic speakers

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peek

Definition of peek

Examples of peek in a Sentence

Recent Examples of peek from the Web

Origin and Etymology of peek

peek Synonyms

Synonyms

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PEEK Defined for English Language Learners

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Definition of peek for English Language Learners

PEEK Defined for Kids

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peek

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