sneak

1 of 3

verb

ˈsnēk 

sneaked ˈsnēkt  or snuck ˈsnək  ; 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

see also:

sneak up on

Sneaked vs. Snuck: Usage Guide

Sneaked is the original past tense form of sneak, but in the late 1800s, the alternative past tense form snuck began making its way into American English. It is now very common and is considered standard.

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

: quarterback sneak

sneak

3 of 3

adjective

1

: carried on secretly : clandestine

2

: occurring without warning : surprise

a sneak attack

Synonyms of sneak

Verb

• lurk
• slip
• steal
• slide

Noun

• weasel
• skunk
• sneaker
• snake
• skulk

Adjective

• clandestine
• covert
• undercover
• sneaking
• underground
• private

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

Since 2017, Hebden has built up a tidy discography of sub rosa loosies and EPs under the alias, and even snuck out an ultra-limited vinyl anthology of them in 2021; some of those tracks first surfaced on the Four Tet album Parallel, in 2020. — Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 18 July 2026

On Thursday, a man named Andrew Truelove allegedly snuck past a security guard on the Today show set and made his way toward the co-hosts in search of Today’s Al Roker, who was not on-screen at the time. — Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 17 July 2026

Noun

Little does Sinon know, Odysseus and his men are hiding inside the horse to launch a sneak attack on Troy. — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 19 July 2026

Taking the Scenic Route Home After their successful sneak-attack pillaging of Troy, Odysseus’ comrade Menelaus (Jon Bernthal) and his men pack up and head back to Sparta. — Whitney Friedlander, Vulture, 17 July 2026

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

Phrases Containing sneak

• quarterback sneak
• sneak peek
• sneak preview
• sneak thief
• sneak up on

Rhymes for sneak

• beak
• beek
• bleak
• cheek
• chic
• clique
• creak
• creek
• eke
• freak
• geek
• greek

Video

Sneaked vs. Snuck

How the irregular 'snuck' sneaked into the dictionary

Kids Definition

sneak

1 of 3 verb

ˈsnēk 

sneaked ˈsnēkt  or snuck ˈsnək  ; 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