sneak

verb \ ˈsnēk \

Updated on: 12 Apr 2018

Definition of sneak

sneaked play \ˈsnēkt\ or snuck play \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

— sneak up on

: to approach or act on stealthily

See sneak defined for English-language learners

See sneak defined for kids

sneaked vs. snuck

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.

Examples of sneak in a Sentence

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?

Recent Examples of sneak from the Web

That height gives the Nationplus ample ankle support and helped keep snow from sneaking into our socks.

— joe jackson, Outside Online, "The Best Winter Boots for Men," 19 Mar. 2018
Florida, which is trying to sneak into the final wild-card spot, moved to within four points of the Flyers.

— sam carchidi, Philly.com, "Flyers' collapse continues in loss to Columbus," 15 Mar. 2018
Any message for professional mountain climbers trying to sneak into America right this moment?

— nate erickson, Esquire, "A Pro Mountain Climber Told Us He Could Climb Trump's Border Wall," 13 Mar. 2018
The Art Deco interior—brainchild of ArcLight Cinema heir Tait Forman—lends a theatrical feel, while drinks designed by Proprietors LLC (the Normandie Club) sneak twists into familiar tipples.

— garrett snyder, Los Angeles Magazine, "Cocktails Inspired by a Magician Movie Have Arrived in Beverly Grove," 9 Feb. 2018
In lysogenic infections, phages invade bacterial cells but then sneak their genetic code into that of the bacterium’s, sometimes disrupting genes.

— beth mole, Ars Technica, "Never-before-seen viruses that can kill bacteria stream from women’s bladders," 1 Feb. 2018
Add a dose of charm by mounting plates and sneaking in an elegant orchid.

— House Beautiful, "140+ Ideas to Make Any Bathroom Feel Like an At-Home Spa," 8 Jan. 2017
Hal Hughes brought him home with a single to push the lead up to 4-1 and then Hughes came around to score on a single by Brandt Broussard that snuck under the glove of Vanderbilt second baseman Ethan Paul to push the lead to four runs.

— andrew lopez, NOLA.com, "LSU baseball game against Vanderbilt suspended; will resume Sunday morning," 24 Mar. 2018
During the photo shoot for this very page, the photographer kept sneaking sniffs of it and asking for the ingredients.

— jacqueline detwiler, Popular Mechanics, "Learn to Make Amaro and Fashion Your Own Take on Fernet-Branca," 22 Mar. 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of sneak

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1594

See Words from the same year

sneak Synonyms

Synonyms

lurk, mooch, mouse, pussyfoot, shirk, skulk, slide, slink, slip, snake, steal;

Related Words

crawl, creep, inch, worm;

pad, tiptoe;

Synonym Discussion of 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

sneak

noun

Definition of sneak

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 2 —usually used in plural

4 : quarterback sneak

See sneak defined for English-language learners

Examples of sneak in a Sentence

What a rotten sneak! I should have known not to trust her.
He ran a sneak up the middle for a touchdown.

Recent Examples of sneak from the Web

Researchers Daniel Carlson, Amanda Miller, and Sharon Sassler are out with new data on the subject today, and offered a sneak peek to MarieClaire.com.

— rebecca gale, Marie Claire, "Breaking: Who Does the Dishes Could Save You and Your Husband From Divorce," 3 Apr. 2018
After several weeks of spotting mysterious sneak peeks on Instagram, the news was finally made official this week.

— kaleigh fasanella, Allure, "M.A.C. Is Launching a Version of Its Best-Selling Strobe Cream for Your Body," 2 Apr. 2018
Refreshments, festivities and a sneak peek at the Fools’ upcoming 23rd season, and The Center’s 2018-19 Big Idea projects, museum exhibitions, concerts, lectures, more.

— michelle jenkins, idahostatesman, "April showers us with fresh produce, jazz and laughs | Idaho Statesman," 31 Mar. 2018
Join us for this exclusive sneak peek at Hallmark’s newest movie, and be sure to tune in on March 31st for the premiere.

— Southern Living, "Take A Behind-The-Scenes Look At Hallmark's Newest Spring Movie," 29 Mar. 2018
Fox News has an exclusive sneak peek of the series' first episode which focuses on the trial of Casey Anthony who was acquitted of murdering her daughter Caylee in 2011.

— Fox News, "Marcia Clark talks Casey Anthony case in new docu-series sneak peak," 29 Mar. 2018
The book hits retailers on March 27, but scroll down for a sneak peek of Pei’s lush, sensuous designs.

— morgan sykes, The Cut, "The Chinese Designer Behind Rihanna’s Famous Yellow Gown," 25 Mar. 2018
Taylor Swift is known for surprising her fans, but her latest sneak attack of kindness takes the cake.

— Billboard, "Taylor Strikes Again: Swift Surprises Amber Rose & Wiz Khalifa's Son with 'Reputation' Swag Package," 21 Mar. 2018
What follows that first sneak attack on an age group typically is a decline in skills by the second year.

— roy bragg, San Antonio Express-News, "UIW’s Newman lost toe, wins matches," 20 Mar. 2018

First Known Use of sneak

circa 1643

sneak Synonyms

Synonyms

lurker, skulk, skulker, sneaker;

Related Words

skunk, snake, weasel;

sharper, slicker, swindler;

snoop, snooper, spy;

stalker;

sneak

adjective

Definition of sneak

1 : carried on secretly : clandestine

2 : occurring without warning : surprise

a sneak attack

See sneak defined for English-language learners

Examples of sneak in a Sentence

a sneak attack on the nation's capitol

Recent Examples of sneak from the Web

Get Ready: Katy Perry Has Released a Sneak Peek of Her New Song And the internet has receipts.

— mehera bonner, Marie Claire, "Get Ready: Katy Perry Has Released a Sneak Peek of Her New Song," 15 Mar. 2017

First Known Use of sneak

circa 1859

sneak Synonyms

SNEAK Defined for English Language Learners

sneak

verb

Definition of sneak for English Language Learners

: to move quietly and secretly in order to avoid being noticed
: to take or bring (something) secretly and often quickly
: to tell someone (such as a parent or teacher) about something wrong that someone else has done

sneak

noun

Definition of sneak for English Language Learners

: a person who acts in a secret and usually dishonest way

sneak

adjective

Definition of sneak for English Language Learners

: done while others are not paying attention

SNEAK Defined for Kids

sneak

verb \ ˈsnēk \

Definition of sneak for Students

sneaked \ˈsnēkt\ or snuck \ˈsnək\; sneaking

: to move, act, bring, put, or take in a sly or secret way

Ina-Rae lifted her desktop to sneak peeks at her valentines …
—Richard Peck, A Year Down Yonder

sneak

noun

Definition of sneak for Students

: a person who acts in a sly or secret way

Learn More about sneak

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

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sneak

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sneaked vs. snuck

Examples of sneak in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of sneak

sneak Synonyms

Synonyms

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Synonym Discussion of sneak

sneak

Definition of sneak

Examples of sneak in a Sentence

Recent Examples of sneak from the Web

First Known Use of sneak

sneak Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

sneak

Definition of sneak

Examples of sneak in a Sentence

Recent Examples of sneak from the Web

First Known Use of sneak

sneak Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

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SNEAK Defined for English Language Learners

sneak

Definition of sneak for English Language Learners

sneak

Definition of sneak for English Language Learners

sneak

Definition of sneak for English Language Learners

SNEAK Defined for Kids

sneak

Definition of sneak for Students

sneak

Definition of sneak for Students

Learn More about sneak

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