sneak

1 of 3

verb

ˈsnēk 

sneaked ˈsnēkt  or snuck 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

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

• lurk
• mooch
• mouse
• pussyfoot
• shirk
• skulk
• slide
• slink
• slip
• snake
• steal

Noun

• lurker
• skulk
• skulker
• slyboots
• sneaker

Adjective

• backstairs
• behind-the-scenes
• clandestine
• covert
• furtive
• hole-and-corner
• hugger-mugger
• hush-hush
• private
• privy
• secret
• sneaking
• sneaky
• stealth
• stealthy
• surreptitious
• undercover
• underground
• underhand
• underhanded

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

Imagine shutting every door and window, yet an intrusive guest still sneaks into your home. —David Stempel, The Mercury News, 9 Nov. 2024

If 10 hours on stand are too much, sleep in, sneak to your spot at 9 a.m., and hunt out the rest of the day. —Michael Hanback, Outdoor Life, 7 Nov. 2024

Noun

Luther Vandross: Artistry and Elegance will open on Nov. 20 with an exclusive preview of the forthcoming documentary Luther: Never Too Much and a sneak peak of the exhibit. —Gail Mitchell, Billboard, 29 Oct. 2024

Here's a sneak peak of some of the recipes in this year's cookie book, plus where to find a copy nearest you. —Alex Groth, Journal Sentinel, 24 Oct. 2024

Adjective

Get Ready: Katy Perry Has Released a Sneak Peek of Her New Song And the internet has receipts. —Mehera Bonner, Marie Claire, 15 Mar. 2017

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

Phrases Containing sneak

• quarterback sneak
• sneak peek
• sneak preview
• sneak thief

Video

Sneaked vs. Snuck

How the irregular 'snuck' sneaked into the dictionary

Kids Definition

sneak

1 of 3 verb

ˈsnēk 

sneaked ˈsnēkt  or snuck ˈsnək  ; 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