steal

1 of 2

verb

ˈstēl 

stole ˈstōl  ; stolen ˈstō-lən  ; stealing

intransitive verb

1

: to take the property of another wrongfully and especially as a habitual or regular practice

was accused of stealing

2

: to come or go secretly, unobtrusively, gradually, or unexpectedly

They stole out of the room.

She was able to silently steal away.

3

: to steal or attempt to steal a base

transitive verb

1

a

: to take or appropriate without right or leave and with intent to keep or make use of wrongfully

stole a car

b

: to take away by force or by unjust, unfair, or dishonest means

They've stolen our liberty.

The other team stole our best player.

c

: to take surreptitiously or without permission

steal a cookie from the cookie jar

steal a kiss

d

: to wrongly use and take credit for

stole my idea

e

: to get more attention than others during (a performance, scene, etc.)

His outstanding performance stole the show.

2

a

: to move, convey, or introduce secretly : smuggle

b

: to accomplish in a concealed or unobserved manner

steal a visit

steal a peek/look/glance

stole a nap this afternoon

3

a

: to seize, gain, or win by trickery, skill, or daring

a basketball player adept at stealing the ball

stole the election

b

of a base runner : to reach (a base) safely solely by running and usually catching the opposing team off guard

stealable

ˈstē-lə-bəl 

adjective

stealer noun

steal

2 of 2

noun

1

: the act or an instance of stealing

2

: a fraudulent or questionable political deal

3

: bargain sense 2

It's a steal at that price.

Phrases

steal a march on

: to gain an advantage on unobserved

steal one's thunder

: to grab attention from another especially by anticipating an idea, plan, or presentation

also : to claim credit for another's idea

Synonyms of steal

Verb

• swipe
• rob
• grab
• pilfer
• snatch
• lift
• filch
• thieve
• purloin
• misappropriate

Noun

• bargain
• deal
• buy

Choose the Right Synonym for steal

steal, pilfer, filch, purloin mean to take from another without right or without detection.

steal may apply to any surreptitious taking of something and differs from the other terms by commonly applying to intangibles as well as material things.

steal jewels

stole a look at the gifts

pilfer implies stealing repeatedly in small amounts.

pilfered from his employer

filch adds a suggestion of snatching quickly and surreptitiously.

filched an apple from the tray

purloin stresses removing or carrying off for one's own use or purposes.

printed a purloined document

Examples of steal in a Sentence

Verb

They stole thousands of dollars' worth of jewelry from the store.

He discovered that his car had been stolen.

The store manager accused the boy of stealing.

I stole a cookie from the cookie jar.

They stole our best pitcher away from our team.

His outstanding performance stole the show.

Noun

This car is a steal at only $5,000.

He has 40 steals this season.

a nifty steal by the defender

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

After all, the film series follows a group of street magicians — played by Eisenberg, Harrelson, Isla Fisher, and Dave Franco — who famously use tricks to steal from the wealthy. —Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025

Ahead of dinner, in the glow of the candlelight, Kaufman and Mills steal a moment, slow dancing next to the table. —Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2025

Noun

Springer has recorded 17 steals on 18 attempts. —Data Skrive, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2025

Jaquez continued his strong start to the season with 28 points on 9-of-14 shooting from the field, 2-of-4 shooting on threes and 8-of-8 shooting from the foul line, four rebounds, five assists and one steal in 28 minutes. —Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 31 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English stelen, from Old English stelan; akin to Old High German stelan to steal

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

circa 1825, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing steal

• beg, borrow, or/and steal
• steal a glance
• steal a kiss
• steal a peek/look
• steal someone's thunder
• win/steal/capture one's heart

Rhymes for steal

• beal
• chiel
• ciel
• creel
• deal
• diel
• eel
• feel
• feil
• heal
• heel
• keel

Kids Definition

steal

1 of 2 verb

ˈstē(ə)l 

stole ˈstōl  ; stolen ˈstō-lən  ; stealing

1

: to come or go secretly or quietly

stole out of the room

2

a

: to take and carry away without right and with the intention of keeping the property of another : rob

b

: to take in a sneaky way and without permission

steal a kiss

c

: to take entirely to oneself or beyond one's proper share

steal the show

3

a

: smuggle sense 2

b

: to accomplish or get in a concealed or unobserved manner

steal a nap

4

a

: to seize, gain, or win by trickery, skill, or daring

the basketball player stole the ball

b

: to gain a base in baseball by running without the aid of a hit or an error

stealer noun

steal

2 of 2 noun

1

: the act or an instance of stealing

2

: something offered or purchased at a low price : bargain

Medical Definition

steal

noun

ˈstēl 

: abnormal circulation characterized by deviation (as through collateral vessels or by backward flow) of blood to tissues where the normal flow of blood has been cut off by occlusion of an artery

subclavian steal

coronary steal

Legal Definition

steal

transitive verb

stole; stolen; stealing

: to take or appropriate without right or consent and with intent to keep or make use of see also robbery, theft

Etymology

Transitive verb

Old English stelan