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
: 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.
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
1
: carried on secretly : clandestine
2
: occurring without warning : surprise
a sneak attack
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
Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
Brentford are sneaking up on the rails, a further two points adrift of Hurzeler’s side.
—Andy Naylor, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2025
Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2025
After an expectedly awkward exchange between Nick and Luke – and Nick and Moira, who's meeting him for the first time – the four sneak outside and make for the park's exit.
—EW.com, 8 Apr. 2025
Mehera Bonner, Marie Claire, 15 Mar. 2017
See All Example Sentences for sneak
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Verb
The track reenters the Official Singles Sales chart at No. 2 — a brand new high — and also sneaks back onto the main Official Singles list, landing at No. 44.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
Brentford are sneaking up on the rails, a further two points adrift of Hurzeler’s side.
—Andy Naylor, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2025
Noun
Starbucks' will be unveiling its full summer menu in May, but this week offered USA TODAY a sneak peak of some items that will be included.
—Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2025
After an expectedly awkward exchange between Nick and Luke – and Nick and Moira, who's meeting him for the first time – the four sneak outside and make for the park's exit.
—EW.com, 8 Apr. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for sneak
Video
Sneaked vs. Snuck
How the irregular 'snuck' sneaked into the dictionary
Cite this Entry
“Sneak.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sneak. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sneak
2 of 3 noun1
: a person who acts in a secret or sly manner
2
: the act or an instance of sneaking
sneak
3 of 3 adjective1
: carried on secretly : clandestine
2
: occurring without warning
a sneak attack
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share