steal
steal — verb
1. to take something that belongs to another person, without asking or getting perm
to take something that belongs to another person, without asking or getting permission, and to keep it for yourself
A thief stole Daniel's laptop from his bag on the crowded train.
steal + object + from + place/person
The police arrested two women who tried to steal jewellery from the shop.
Someone stole Tariq's bicycle while it was locked outside the library.
Naoko discovered that a neighbour had been stealing her newspapers every morning.
The security guard caught several teenagers trying to steal expensive sneakers.
- steal money
- steal a car
- steal jewellery
- steal from a shop
- steal from someone
- caught stealing
Grammar Patterns
steal + noun phrase
steal + noun phrase + from + person/place
Usage Note
Object is the item taken; the person or place you take from is introduced with 'from'. Cannot be used for taking people — use 'kidnap' instead.
Common Mistakes
2. to move or go somewhere with quiet, careful steps to avoid being seen or heard;
to move or go somewhere with quiet, careful steps to avoid being seen or heard; or to do something like looking quickly without being noticed
Caleb stole out through the back door while everyone was watching TV.
steal + directional adverb (out/away/off)
Valentina stole a glance at her watch during the long meeting.
Devika stole up behind her brother and tapped him on the shoulder.
The family cat stole across the garden toward a bird on the grass.
Hassan stole a quick look at the text message under the table during class.
- steal away
- steal out
- steal off
- steal a glance
- steal a look
- steal up behind
- stomp
to walk heavily and noisily, the opposite of moving quietly
Grammar Patterns
steal + directional adverb (out/away/off)
steal + noun phrase (a glance/look)
Usage Note
Often used with directional adverbs (out, away, off, up) or in fixed expressions 'steal a glance' / 'steal a look'. Sounds slightly literary or narrative in tone.
Common Mistakes
3. in baseball, to run from one base to the next during the pitcher's delivery, rea
in baseball, to run from one base to the next during the pitcher's delivery, reaching the new base before the opposing team can put you out with a tag
The shortstop successfully stole second base while the pitcher was winding up.
steal + base (second/third/home) in baseball
Hassan has stolen thirty bases this season, the most on his team.
The coach gave a clear signal for the runner on first to steal second.
Noa tried to steal home but the catcher tagged her out at the plate.
- steal second
- steal third
- steal home
- steal a base
- stolen base
- attempted steal
Grammar Patterns
steal + base (second/third/home)
steal (no object)
Usage Note
Exclusively used in baseball. The base is named directly (second base, third base, home). 'Steal home' is rare and considered daring.
Common Mistakes
4. in team ball sports, to grab the ball from someone on the opposing side, so your
in team ball sports, to grab the ball from someone on the opposing side, so your team gains control of it
Sari stole the ball from the defender and quickly passed it to a teammate.
steal the ball + from + opponent in sports
Christopher stole the basketball near the three-point line and drove for a layup.
The rugby player stole the ball during a tackle and sprinted toward the goal.
Élise stole the ball at midfield and started a fast counter-attack down the wing.
- steal the ball
- steal possession
- steal the ball from
- steal and score
- turn over
to lose possession of the ball to the other team
Grammar Patterns
steal + the ball + from + opponent
Usage Note
Common in basketball, rugby, American football, and soccer. Not used in net sports like tennis or volleyball. 'Steal' as a noun (sports statistic) is related to this sense.
Common Mistakes
5. to draw the greatest amount of attention and praise during a performance or even
to draw the greatest amount of attention and praise during a performance or event, leaving the other participants with less notice than you
The young dancer stole the show with her amazing and energetic performance.
steal the show / steal the scene / steal the spotlight
Sofie's funny speech about her travels stole the attention from the main guest.
The supporting actor almost stole the scene from the lead actress in every episode.
Their incredible chocolate cake stole the spotlight at the neighbourhood bake sale.
- steal the show
- steal the scene
- steal the spotlight
- steal the limelight
- blend in
to not attract attention; to fit in with the crowd
Grammar Patterns
steal the show/scene/spotlight
Usage Note
Used in fixed phrases: 'steal the show', 'steal the scene', 'steal the spotlight', 'steal the limelight'. The subject is usually a performer, dish, or element that was not expected to be the main focus.
Common Mistakes
To quickly look at someone or something without being noticed.
Sara stole a glance at the clock during the meeting.
Did you steal a look at the answer sheet?
To cause someone to fall in love with you.
The puppy's playful antics stole Maya's heart immediately.
His kindness and humor stole her heart on their first date.
To kiss someone suddenly or secretly, often without permission.
Diego stole a kiss from his girlfriend under the mistletoe.
She stole a kiss from him before he left for work.
To gain an advantage over someone by acting before them.
The startup stole a march on competitors by launching early.
Brian stole a march on his rivals by securing the patent first.
steal the show
idiomTo attract the most attention and praise in a situation.
The young magician stole the show at the party.
A local band stole the show at the music festival.
To take attention or success away from someone by doing what they planned to do.
Maya's announcement stole her colleague's thunder at the meeting.
He stole my thunder by revealing the surprise I had planned.
steal — noun
1. something you buy for far less than its usual value — an excellent deal that fee
something you buy for far less than its usual value — an excellent deal that feels like you got it without paying what it is worth
At just two hundred dollars, this gently-used sofa is an absolute steal.
be a steal = be very cheap for the value
Tariq found a real steal at the flea market — a vintage watch for ten dollars.
These designer shoes were a steal at half their original retail price.
This leather jacket was only forty dollars — what a steal! Caleb shouted.
- absolute steal
- real steal
- be a steal
- what a steal
- bargain
more common and neutral; 'steal' is more emphatic about the low price
- deal
informal, can refer to both a low price and a business arrangement
- good value
suggests good quality relative to cost, not necessarily extremely cheap
- rip-off
something that costs far more than it is worth
Grammar Patterns
be a steal
Usage Note
Always singular ('a steal'). Used in informal contexts like shopping, sales, and bargains. Often follows 'be' as in 'be a steal'.
Common Mistakes
2. a play in baseball in which a runner successfully moves to the next base while t
a play in baseball in which a runner successfully moves to the next base while the pitcher is throwing the ball, without being put out
The pitcher allowed only one steal in the entire nine-inning game.
baseball: a steal = a stolen base
Noa's steal of second base in the final inning changed the momentum.
The catcher threw the ball too late to prevent the steal of third base.
Christopher leads the league with forty-two successful steals this season.
- a steal of second
- prevent a steal
- allow a steal
- stolen base
- stolen base
the full, more formal term for the same concept
Grammar Patterns
a steal (by a player)
X steals (statistic)
Usage Note
Common in baseball statistics where players are credited with steals. Related to the verb sense of 'stealing a base'.
Word family
- stolenadjectiveB1
- stealthnounB2
- stealthyadjectiveB2
- stealthilyadverbC1
- stealernounC1
Synonym discussion
Sense: verb/1
Steal is the most direct and common word for taking someone else's property without permission. Take is far broader — it includes legitimate taking (take a book from the shelf), so context must signal theft. Rob focuses on the victim — you rob a person, bank, or store, not an object (correct: 'They robbed the store'; incorrect: 'They robbed the money'). Swipe is very informal and suggests a quick, casual theft of something small, like a pen or phone. Pilfer is more formal and implies stealing small amounts repeatedly over time, often from a workplace. For example: 'Someone stole my wallet' (neutral), 'They robbed the gas station' (place as target), 'He swiped my charger from the desk' (casual), and 'The employee pilfered office supplies for months' (gradual, small-scale).
Common collocations
Etymology
Steal comes from Old English 'stelan', which traces back to Proto-Germanic '*stelaną'. Related words exist in Dutch ('stelen') and German ('stehlen'). The noun sense meaning 'a bargain' first appeared in American English in the mid-1800s, deriving from the idea that paying a very low price feels like getting away with something wrongfully. The sports meanings (baseball and basketball) developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.