Synonyms of stealing

stealing 1 of 2

noun

as in robbery

the unlawful taking and carrying away of property without the consent of its owner

in those days the stealing of a horse was a very serious crime

Synonyms & Similar Words

• robbery
• theft
• larceny
• kidnapping
• thievery
• burglary
• pilfering
• smuggling
• embezzlement
• abduction
• embezzling
• misappropriation
• shoplifting
• graft
• hijacking
• plundering
• looting
• rustling
• pilferage
• housebreaking
• peculation
• misapplication
• petit larceny
• filching
• piracy
• petty larceny
• poaching
• pillage
• purloining
• carjacking
• spoliation
• rapine
• despoliation
• banditry
• shanghaiing
• despoilment
• black marketeering

stealing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of steal

1

as in swiping

to take (something) without right and with an intent to keep

the guy who tried to steal my car was sentenced to a year in jail

Synonyms & Similar Words

• swiping
• robbing
• pilfering
• grabbing
• snatching
• lifting
• filching
• thieving
• appropriating
• misappropriating
• purloining
• pocketing
• nicking
• pinching
• snitching
• hijacking
• hooking
• nipping
• boosting
• ripping off
• picking
• seizing
• taking
• heisting
• plundering
• running off with
• making off with
• looting
• making away with
• burglarizing
• pillaging
• walking off with
• sacking
• shoplifting
• knocking over
• poaching
• grasping
• kidnapping
• abducting
• rustling
• rifling
• nailing
• carjacking
• mooching
• collaring
• sponging
• spiriting
• shanghaiing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• buying
• purchasing
• giving
• presenting
• contributing
• donating
• bestowing
• handing over

2

as in sneaking

to move about in a sly or secret manner

the teenagers were able to steal past a security guard and enter the fairgrounds without paying admission

Synonyms & Similar Words

• sneaking
• lurking
• slipping
• sliding
• crawling
• slinking
• skulking
• shirking
• snaking
• creeping
• tiptoeing
• mooching
• mousing
• pussyfooting
• edging
• inching
• padding
• worming
• ghosting

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of stealing

Noun

Blatant, in-your-face lying, cheating and stealing is the norm. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 16 Sep. 2026

The stealing of Native Americans and their homelands is not just a side story in the grand drama of American history. — Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026

The victim later told police the woman had been fired from her company after being suspected of stealing, the warrant affidavit said. — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 14 Aug. 2026

This kind of stealing of consensus is hardly new to American politics, true enough. — Scott Montgomery, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026

Economic circumstances also contribute to the rise of stealing and fraud. — Devika Rao, TheWeek, 3 Aug. 2026

Appearances by the unrelenting (and scene-stealing) Frank Castle, the vigilante known as the Punisher, also demand a more accountable hero. — Ken Makin, Christian Science Monitor, 3 Aug. 2026

Nathaniel Pearson of Raytown was charged Tuesday with first degree assault, armed criminal action and attempted stealing of a motor vehicle, the prosecutor’s office said in a Wednesday news release. — Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 29 July 2026

Like the first book of the trilogy, this one unfolds entirely in dialogue—only instead of giving us a narrator whose hat was stolen, this story is narrated by the fish who did the stealing. — Casey Cep, New Yorker, 7 July 2026

Verb

Former police colonel Christiaan Prinsloo was convicted in 2016 after stealing more than 2,000 firearms from police stores and selling them on, including to gangs. — Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2026

The attackers were then able to obtain privileged internal access and bypass the normal customer-facing withdrawal process without stealing private keys, Mandiant reported. — Matthew Tan, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026

Guests lingered, sharing cigarettes and stealing a last swig of wine as the carpet rolled up. — Ashley Sp, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026

The hackers reportedly broke into an online portal hosting information on FBI job applicants, stealing Social Security numbers, emergency contact information, and personal addresses. — John Kell, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2026

That includes organizing plots to set fire to warehouses, launching drones and trying to kill enemies abroad as well as stealing defense technology and carrying out cyberattacks on critical European infrastructure. — ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026

Of course, Potts was already a rising star thanks to her head-turning film debut opposite Mark Hamill in Corvette Summer (1978) and scene-stealing performances in Ghostbusters (1984) and Pretty in Pink (1986). — Maggie Fremont, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Sep. 2026

The gang operates by stealing sensitive data from companies and then threatening to leak it unless an extortion demand is paid. — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 29 Sep. 2026

Paul Melanson, a POST member and chief of police in Farmington, said an epidemic years ago of thieves stealing cars and catalytic converters from suburban driveways fueled demands that police quickly embrace surveillance technology. — Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 25 Sep. 2026