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

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

Luke Locklear, 29, of Lumberton, is charged with felony conspiracy, and altering/stealing/destroying criminal evidence by taking it from the home and burning it, a warrant says. — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 26 June 2026

Sale and Ventura engaged in a heated argument a few days later after Sale demanded Ventura call out the Tigers for the sign-stealing. — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 20 June 2026

Verb

The team views stealing bags, however, as a different equation, an entirely different part of baseball philosophy. — Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026

Two individuals accused of stealing over $5,000 worth of music equipment from a Citrus Heights high school have been arrested after police requested the community’s help. — Vince Basada, Sacbee.com, 7 Sep. 2026

With Michigan stealing a 13-12 win over the Broncos in dramatic fashion, the fans who stuck around in The Big House stormed the field to celebrate. — Mark Harris Outkick, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2026

The unit had a massive, momentum stealing series by stopping Carroll at the goal line and also recovering a fumble, the first of five takeaways. — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 2026

Rocchio had reached on a fielder’s choice before stealing second and third. — ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026

Jodie Foster, as a fixer, and Christopher Plummer, as the bank’s chairman, turn in scene-stealing supporting roles. — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Sep. 2026

After spending 19 years in prison for stealing a loaf of bread, Jean Valjean is being released a hardened man. — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 31 Aug. 2026

Chinese consumer brands that went public over the past year or so initially drew strong investor interest until a string of artificial-intelligence companies made their debuts, stealing their thunder and minting new billionaires. — Dave Sebastian, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026