sneak
sneak Lexical Profile
sneak Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To move or go in a furtive, quiet, or stealthy manner so as to avoid being noticed.
"The cat tried to sneak across the kitchen counter while everyone was distracted."
To convey, take, or do something secretly or illicitly.
"She managed to sneak a quick glance at her notes before the presentation began."
British To inform on someone secretly to an authority figure, especially among schoolchildren.
"He promised his classmates that he would not sneak on them to the headmaster."
• adjective
Acting or done secretly, unofficially, or without prior warning (used only before a noun).
"The film studio organized a sneak preview of the new documentary for local critics."
• noun
A person who acts in a furtive, sly, or underhanded manner, or who secretly informs on others.
"No one trusted him with confidential plans because he had a reputation for being a sneak."
An act or instance of moving or taking something stealthily.
"In American football, a quarterback sneak is often used to gain a single yard near the goal line."
Word Nuance & Usage
Traditionally, the past tense and past participle of the verb is 'sneaked'. However, the irregular form 'snuck' emerged in 19th-century North American English and is now widely accepted in both informal and standard American usage, though 'sneaked' remains preferred in formal British English.
• Rhymes for sneak
Word Origin & Etymology
First recorded in the late 16th century (notably in Shakespeare's works), probably a dialectal survival or alteration of Middle English 'sniken', from Old English 'snican' meaning 'to creep or crawl'.