Definition of sneak
sneaked
play \ˈsnēkt\ orsnuck
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
From the M-W Editors
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
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The campus lies six miles south of Lambeau Field, where nearly 50 years ago Lombardi exulted on the sideline when his quarterback, Bart Starr, sneaked across the goal line to beat the Cowboys in the Ice Bowl, played in minus-15° temperatures.
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Not to alarm you, fellow Chicagoans, but someone is trying to grift our fair city: Heinz, that ubiquitous purveyor of ketchup, is trying to sneak the red stuff on your hot dogs.
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In the night, when the hangings were over, locals heard the sounds of grieving families who snuck over to gather up their dead and secretly bury them elsewhere.
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Her friends snuck into school Sunday and decorated a teacher's classroom in Ohio State gear.
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Donald Trump is planning to sneak into Britain to avoid protests.
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Hosmer snuck a three-run homer inches inside the left-field foul pole.
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Neals said that sometimes Misty will sneak out if her four boys aren't careful, and that is what happened Sunday night.
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Hayes said Clopton snuck the handcuffs onto her without warning.
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
Synonym Discussion of sneak
sneak
Definition of sneak
1 : a person who acts in a stealthy, furtive, or shifty manner
2a : a stealthy or furtive moveb : an unobserved departure or escape
3 : sneaker 2 —usually used in plural
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
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Bloomberg’s Doug Alexander had a sneak peek at Bank of Montreal’s most prized collections spanning two centuries at its basement vault in Montreal.
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A 2003 study of 844 Canadian recreational runners found men in shoes four to six months old and women in shoes one to three months old developed fewer new overuse injuries than those in older sneaks.
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The district typically uses the Monday before for open houses or to let students get a sneak peak at their schools.
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Here's a sneak peek of the speech, which the speaker will give at 12:45 at the Grand Hyatt at 1000 H St., NW.
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Miami-Dade’s pending fight over moving the urban-development boundary may get a sneak preview Tuesday when the public can weigh in on whether to extend the county’s busiest toll road.
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Apple offered a sneak preview of the new iMac Pro, a space-gray colored, all-in-one that will put all of the company’s other Macs to shame.
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For one thing, the company gave a sneak peek of its next vehicle, the Model Y, a small SUV.
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Some lucky visitors got sneak peeks in recent days.
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.
First Known Use of sneak
circa 1643
sneak
Definition of sneak
1 : carried on secretly : clandestine
2 : occurring without warning : surprise a sneak attack
Examples of sneak in a Sentence
a sneak attack on the nation's capitol
First Known Use of sneak
circa 1859
SNEAK Defined for English Language Learners
sneak
playDefinition of sneak for English Language Learners
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: to move quietly and secretly in order to avoid being noticed
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: to take or bring (something) secretly and often quickly
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: to tell someone (such as a parent or teacher) about something wrong that someone else has done
sneak
Definition of sneak for English Language Learners
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: a person who acts in a secret and usually dishonest way
sneak
Definition of sneak for English Language Learners
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: done while others are not paying attention
SNEAK Defined for Kids
Definition of sneak for Students
sneaked
\ˈsnēkt\ orsnuck
\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
Learn More about sneak
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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
Seen and Heard
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