sneak
sneak — verb
1. to move quietly and without attracting notice when going to, from, or past a pla
to move quietly and without attracting notice when going to, from, or past a place; or to bring, take, or put a person or thing somewhere without being seen or caught.
Ravindra sneaked out of the house while his parents were asleep.
intransitive: sneak out of [place]
Henrik sneaked his phone into the exam room without anyone noticing.
transitive: sneak [object] into [place]
The cat sneaked up on the bird in the garden.
phrasal pattern: sneak up on [someone/something]
Tendai sneaked a note into Sumin's bag during lunch.
Jessica sneaked past the security guard through the back entrance.
intransitive: sneak past [someone/something]
- sneak out of
- sneak into
- sneak past
- sneak around
- sneak up on
- sneak away
- sneak back
Grammar Patterns
sneak + adverb/preposition
sneak + object + adverb/preposition
sneak up on + object
Usage Note
Common in the pattern sneak + adverb/preposition (out, in, past, around, up). The past tense can be sneaked (standard) or snuck (informal, especially in American English).
Common Mistakes
2. to inform a person in authority, such as a teacher or parent, about another pers
to inform a person in authority, such as a teacher or parent, about another person's behaviour that breaks rules, often in a way that others consider mean or dishonourable.
Romi sneaked on her younger brother for eating sweets before dinner.
sneak on [someone] + for doing [something]
Omar sneaked to the principal about the students smoking behind the gym.
The other children called Christopher a sneak for telling the teacher about the broken window.
Nobody wanted to play with Sari after she sneaked on them for using bad language.
- sneak on someone
- sneak to the teacher
- sneak to the headmaster
- cover up
to hide someone's wrongdoing instead of reporting it
Grammar Patterns
sneak on + person
sneak to + authority figure
Usage Note
Primarily used by and about children in British English. This sense has a strong negative connotation — the person who sneaks is seen as untrustworthy. In American English, tattle (on) is more common.
Common Mistakes
3. to direct a quick, secret glance at a person or thing that you are not supposed
to direct a quick, secret glance at a person or thing that you are not supposed to be looking at.
Vinícius sneaked a look at the test paper when the teacher turned around.
sneak a look at [something]
Tamar sneaked a peek at the birthday presents hidden in the wardrobe.
Reema sneaked a glance at her watch during the long meeting.
sneak a glance at [something]
The journalist sneaked a look at the confidential folder on the manager's desk.
- sneak a look at
- sneak a peek at
- sneak a glance at
Grammar Patterns
sneak a look at + object
sneak a peek at + object
sneak a glance at + object
Usage Note
Always used with a following noun phrase describing the act of looking: a look, a peek, a glance. The object of the look is typically introduced by at.
Common Mistakes
4. to take something without permission, especially something small or of little va
to take something without permission, especially something small or of little value, often in a way meant to avoid being noticed.
Someone sneaked Reema's lunch from the office fridge yesterday.
sneak [object] from [place]
Tamar sneaked a few coins from her mother's purse when she was not looking.
The boy sneaked a chocolate bar from the shop while the cashier was busy.
Henrik sneaked some of his roommate's snacks from the shared kitchen.
- sneak something from
- sneak food
- sneak money
- return
to give something back
Grammar Patterns
sneak + object + from + person/place
Usage Note
Unlike steal, sneak emphasises the secrecy and the small scale of the taking rather than the legal seriousness. The object taken is usually something like food, money, or a small item.
Common Mistakes
sneak up
phrasal verbTo move quietly and secretly toward someone or something so that they do not notice you until you are close.
Maya tried to sneak up on her brother, but he heard her footsteps.
Did you see the cat sneak up on that bird in the garden?
sneak — noun
1. a person, especially a child at school, who secretly tells an authority figure w
a person, especially a child at school, who secretly tells an authority figure when someone else has done something wrong, and is therefore disliked or distrusted.
The other prisoners hated the sneak who told the guards about the escape plan.
derogatory noun: a sneak who tells [about something]
Nobody trusted Eva after the teachers found out she was a sneak.
The novel's main character is a sneak who reports neighbours to the secret police.
Being called a sneak is one of the worst labels a child can get.
- call someone a sneak
- known as a sneak
Usage Note
Strongly negative and insulting. Used mainly among children and teenagers, or metaphorically to criticise someone who secretly reports on others.
2. a light, comfortable shoe with a rubber sole, worn for sports, running, or casua
a light, comfortable shoe with a rubber sole, worn for sports, running, or casual daily wear.
Jessica bought a pair of white sneakers for her morning runs in the park.
plural form sneakers most common
The sports teacher told the students to wear their sneakers to gym class.
Romi's new sneakers were covered in mud after the football game.
Christopher tied his sneakers tightly before starting the race.
- a pair of sneakers
- wear sneakers
- white sneakers
- new sneakers
- trainer
British English equivalent
- athletic shoe
more formal term
- running shoe
specific type of sneaker for running
Usage Note
Almost always used in the plural form sneakers. In British English, the equivalent word is trainer. The singular sneak is not used for this meaning; the singular form is sneaker.
Common Mistakes
3. a short running play in American football where the quarterback dives forward th
a short running play in American football where the quarterback dives forward through the defensive line, usually to gain a yard or two.
The quarterback executed a perfect sneak and gained two yards on the play.
American football idiom: quarterback sneak
The coach called a quarterback sneak on fourth down with one yard to go.
Their defence stopped the sneak, and the team lost possession of the ball.
On third down, the quarterback attempted a sneak but was tackled at the line.
- quarterback sneak
- call a sneak
- run a sneak
- stop the sneak
Usage Note
Almost always used in the compound quarterback sneak. This is a technical sports term, unlikely to appear in general conversation outside American football contexts.
sneak — adjective
1. happening, done, or shown without being announced or known in advance, so that o
happening, done, or shown without being announced or known in advance, so that only a select few people know about it.
The studio held a sneak preview of the film for critics and journalists.
sneak preview — regular compound noun
Ravindra took a sneak peek at the exam results before they were officially posted.
sneak peek — informal compound noun
The troops launched a sneak attack on the enemy camp just before dawn.
The company organised a sneak tour of the new factory for important investors.
- sneak preview
- sneak peek
- sneak attack
- sneak tour
- sneak visit
- secret
more general; can be used in any position in a sentence
- clandestine
more formal and serious; implies deliberate concealment
- covert
formal, often used in military or intelligence contexts
Grammar Patterns
sneak + noun
usually in compound nouns
Usage Note
The adjective sneak is always used before a noun (attributive) and is almost never used predicatively (❌ 'The preview was sneak'). It forms common compound nouns like sneak preview, sneak peek, and sneak attack.
Common Mistakes
Word family
- sneakernounA2
- sneakyadjectiveB1
- sneakingadjectiveB2
- sneakilyadverbB2
Synonym discussion
Sense: verb/1
All four verbs describe moving quietly, but each has a different emphasis. Sneak focuses on avoiding notice — you sneak when you do not want anyone to see you go somewhere or do something. Creep emphasises slow, cautious movement, often to avoid making noise: you might creep up the stairs at night, but not necessarily in secret. Slink suggests moving in a way that shows guilt, shame, or fear — someone who slinks away after losing an argument looks defeated. Tiptoe describes the physical action of walking on the balls of your feet to stay quiet, without any implication of secrecy or guilt. For example: 'Henrik sneaked into the kitchen to grab some cake' (secretly, avoiding detection), but 'the nurse tiptoed past the sleeping patient' (carefully, only to avoid noise).
Common collocations
Etymology
The verb sneak first appeared in English in the late 1500s, possibly from an Old English word snīcan meaning 'to creep, crawl'. Related forms include the Old Norse snīkja ('to sneak, snatch') and the dialectal English snike ('to creep about'). The noun form meaning 'informer' emerged in the 1800s, and the use for shoes (sneakers) arose in the late 1800s because the rubber soles allowed silent, sneaky movement. The adjective use in compounds like sneak preview dates from the early 1900s.