sneak

1 of 3

verb

ˈsnēk How to pronounce sneak (audio)
sneaked ˈsnēkt How to pronounce sneak (audio) or snuck ˈsnək How to pronounce sneak (audio) ; sneaking
Synonyms of sneaknext

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
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.

sneak

2 of 3

noun

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
4
: quarterback sneak

sneak

3 of 3

adjective

1
: carried on secretly : clandestine
2
: occurring without warning : surprise
a sneak attack
Phrases
sneak up on
: to approach or act on stealthily

Synonyms

Verb

Noun

Adjective

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 
Choose the Right Synonym for sneak

lurk, skulk, slink, sneak mean to behave so as to escape attention.

lurk implies a lying in wait in a place of concealment and often suggests an evil intent.

suspicious men lurking in alleyways

skulk suggests more strongly cowardice or fear or sinister intent.

something skulking in the shadows

slink implies moving stealthily often merely to escape attention.

slunk around the corner

sneak may add an implication of entering or leaving a place or evading a difficulty by furtive or underhanded methods.

sneaked out early

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
Verb
The president-elect had to sneak into the nation's capital in disguise for his inauguration. —Anthony Mason, CBS News, 28 Apr. 2024 The majority came from Thursday night shows, but there was also a special Imax sneak earlier this week. —Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for sneak 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sneak.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

akin to Old English snīcan to sneak along, Old Norse snīkja

First Known Use

Verb

1594, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

circa 1643, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

circa 1859, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sneak was in 1594

Phrases Containing sneak

Dictionary Entries Near sneak

Snead

sneak

sneak boat

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Sneak.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sneak. Accessed 3 May. 2024.

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Kids Definition

sneak

1 of 3 verb
ˈsnēk How to pronounce sneak (audio)
sneaked ˈsnēkt How to pronounce sneak (audio) or snuck ˈsnək How to pronounce sneak (audio) ; sneaking
1
: to go about in a sly or secret manner
2
: to put, bring, or take in a sly manner

sneak

2 of 3 noun
1
: a person who acts in a secret or sly manner
2
: the act or an instance of sneaking

sneak

3 of 3 adjective
1
: carried on secretly : clandestine
2
: occurring without warning
a sneak attack

More from Merriam-Webster on sneak

Nglish: Translation of sneak for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of sneak for Arabic Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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