sneak

sneak  (snk)

v. sneaked also snuck (snk), sneak·ing, sneaks

v.intr.

1. To go or move in a quiet, stealthy way.

2. To behave in a cowardly or servile manner.

v.tr.

To move, give, take, or put in a quiet, stealthy manner: sneak candy into one's mouth; sneaked a look at the grade sheet.

n.

1. A person regarded as stealthy, cowardly, or underhanded.

2. An instance of sneaking; a quiet, stealthy movement.

3. Informal A sneaker.

adj.

1. Carried out in a clandestine manner: sneak preparations for war.

2. Perpetrated without warning: a sneak attack.

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[Probably akin to Middle English sniken, to creep, from Old English sncan.]

Usage Note: Snuck is an Americanism first introduced in the 19th century as a nonstandard regional variant of sneaked. Widespread use of snuck has become more common with every generation. It is now used by educated speakers in all regions. Formal written English is more conservative than other varieties, of course, and here snuck still meets with much resistance. Many writers and editors have a lingering unease about the form, particularly if they recall its nonstandard origins. And 67 percent of the Usage Panel disapproved of snuck in our 1988 survey. Nevertheless, an examination of recent sources shows that snuck is sneaking up on sneaked. Snuck was almost 20 percent more common in newspaper articles published in 1995 than it was in 1985. Snuck also appears in the work of many respected columnists and authors: "He ran up huge hotel bills and then snuck out without paying" George Stade. "He had snuck away from camp with a cabinmate" Anne Tyler. "I ducked down behind the paperbacks and snuck out" Garrison Keillor.

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sneak

Verb

1. to move quietly, trying not be noticed

2. to behave in a cowardly or underhand manner

3. to bring, take, or put secretly: we sneaked him over the border

4. Informal, chiefly Brit & NZ (esp. in schools) to tell tales

Noun

a person who acts in an underhand or cowardly manner

Adjective

without warning: a sneak attack [Old English snīcan to creep]

sneaky adj

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	sneak - a person who is regarded as underhanded and furtive and contemptible disagreeable person, unpleasant person - a person who is not pleasant or agreeable
	2.	sneak - someone who prowls or sneaks about; usually with unlawful intentions prowler, stalker interloper, intruder, trespasser - someone who intrudes on the privacy or property of another without permission
	3.	sneak - someone acting as an informer or decoy for the police canary, fink, snitch, stool pigeon, stoolie, stoolpigeon, snitcher, sneaker betrayer, blabber, informer, squealer, rat - one who reveals confidential information in return for money
Verb	1.	sneak - to go stealthily or furtively; "..stead of sneaking around spying on the neighbor's house" mouse, pussyfoot, creep walk - use one's feet to advance; advance by steps; "Walk, don't run!"; "We walked instead of driving"; "She walks with a slight limp"; "The patient cannot walk yet"; "Walk over to the cabinet" slip away, sneak away, sneak off, sneak out, steal away - leave furtively and stealthily; "The lecture was boring and many students slipped out when the instructor turned towards the blackboard" slip away, sneak away, sneak off, sneak out, steal away - leave furtively and stealthily; "The lecture was boring and many students slipped out when the instructor turned towards the blackboard"
	2.	sneak - put, bring, or take in a secretive or furtive manner; "sneak a look"; "sneak a cigarette" act, move - perform an action, or work out or perform (an action); "think before you act"; "We must move quickly"; "The governor should act on the new energy bill"; "The nanny acted quickly by grabbing the toddler and covering him with a wet towel"
	3.	sneak - make off with belongings of others cabbage, filch, pilfer, purloin, snarf, swipe, abstract, nobble, pinch, hook, lift steal - take without the owner's consent; "Someone stole my wallet on the train"; "This author stole entire paragraphs from my dissertation"
	4.	sneak - pass on stealthily; "He slipped me the key when nobody was looking" slip hand, pass on, turn over, pass, reach, give - place into the hands or custody of; "hand me the spoon, please"; "Turn the files over to me, please"; "He turned over the prisoner to his lawyers"
Adj.	1.	sneak - marked by quiet and caution and secrecy; taking pains to avoid being observed; "a furtive manner"; "a sneak attack"; "stealthy footsteps"; "a surreptitious glance at his watch" furtive, stealthy, surreptitious, sneaky concealed - hidden on any grounds for any motive; "a concealed weapon"; "a concealed compartment in his briefcase"

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sneak

verb 1. slink, slip, steal, pad, sidle, skulk

verb 2. slip, smuggle, spirit

noun 3. informer, grass Brit. (slang) betrayer, telltale, squealer (slang) Judas, accuser, stool pigeon, snake in the grass, nark Brit., Austral., N.Z. (slang) fizgig Austral. (slang)

modifier 4. secret, quick, clandestine, furtive, stealthy

Translations

sneak [sniːk] vi to sneak in/out → entrar/salir a hurtadillas vt to sneak a look at sth → mirar algo de reojo n (fam) → soplón/ona m/f

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sneak [sniːk] (US) [snuck , pt ] vi to sneak in/out → entrer/sortir furtivement or à la dérobée vt to sneak a look at sth → regarder furtivement qch n (inf) (pej) (= informer); faux jeton;

to sneak up on sb → s'approcher de qn sans faire de bruit

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sneak [sniːk] [snuck , pt ] (US) vi to sneak in/out → sich einschleichen/sich hinausschleichen vt to sneak a look at sth → heimlich auf etw acc schielen n (inf) (pej) → Petze f

sneak up sneak vi to sneak up on sb → sich an jdn heranschleichen

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sneak [sniːk] vi to sneak in/out → entrare/uscire di nascosto vt to sneak a look at sth → guardare di sottecchi qc