What does "sneak" mean?
One who sneaks; one who moves stealthily to acquire an item or information.
Sneak
/sniːk/ adj, noun, verb, slang
adj, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: One who sneaks; one who moves stealthily to acquire an item or information.
- Grammar: sneak is listed as adj, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: creep, prowler, abstract, arrant coward.
- Useful contrasts: bold adventurer, clomps, clopping.
- Usage evidence: The policeman noticed a man sneak in.
How to use "sneak"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "sneak" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "sneak" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "sneak" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "sneak" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "sneak" is acting as adj, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "creep" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "sneak", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 One who sneaks; one who moves stealthily to acquire an item or information.
"My little brother is such a sneak; yesterday I caught him trying to look through my diary."
- 2 someone acting as an informer or decoy for the police wordnet
- 3 The act of sneaking
- 4 someone who prowls or sneaks about; usually with unlawful intentions wordnet
- 5 A cheat; a con artist.
"I can't believe I gave that sneak $50 for a ticket when they were selling for $20 at the front gate."
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 a person who is regarded as underhanded and furtive and contemptible wordnet
- 7 An informer; a tell-tale.
- 8 A ball bowled so as to roll along the ground; a daisy-cutter obsolete
- 9 A sneaker; a tennis shoe. US
"We would have been laughed off the street in Philadelphia if we were seen wearing sneaks. In the big city, the young population wore loafers or boots."
- 10 A play where the quarterback receives the snap and immediately dives forward.
- 11 Ellipsis of sneak preview abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
"At a "sneak preview," of course, the public is also on hand and can make their reactions felt much to the humiliation of the principals. At a sneak of "The Sandpiper," starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, the audience laughed so loud during one love scene that the dejected producer promptly cut the scene out of the picture. At a sneak of "The Outrage" in San Francisco it was decided not to give names at the outset to test public response: nearly half the audience left before the picture was 20 minutes old. […] The worst sneak, it is told, occurred one night when nearly the entire audience marched out on "Paris When It Sizzles” leaving the producer and director alone and forlorn in the theater."
Verb
- 1 To creep or go stealthily; to come or go while trying to avoid detection, as a person who does not wish to be seen. intransitive
"He decided to sneak into the kitchen for a second cookie while his mom was on the phone."
- 2 to go stealthily or furtively wordnet
- 3 To take something stealthily without permission. transitive
"I went to sneak a chocolate but my dad caught me."
- 4 pass on stealthily wordnet
- 5 To stealthily bring someone something. ditransitive
"She asked me to sneak her a phone next month."
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 make off with belongings of others wordnet
- 7 To hide, especially in a mean or cowardly manner. dated, transitive
"[Slander] sneaks its head."
- 8 put, bring, or take in a secretive or furtive manner wordnet
- 9 To inform an authority of another's misdemeanours. informal, intransitive, with-on
"If you sneak on me I'll bash you!"
Adjective
- 1 In advance; before release to the general public. not-comparable
"The company gave us a sneak look at their new electronic devices."
- 2 In a stealthy or surreptitious manner. not-comparable
"I was able to get a sneak peek at the guest list."
Adjective
- 1 marked by quiet and caution and secrecy; taking pains to avoid being observed wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"The policeman noticed a man sneak in."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "sneak"?
Common synonyms include: creep, prowler, abstract, arrant coward, blackguard, cabbage.
How do you use "sneak" in a sentence?
The policeman noticed a man sneak in.
How do you pronounce "sneak"?
Pronounced /sniːk/.
Etymology
Possibly from Middle English sniken (“to creep, crawl”), from Old English snīcan (“to creep, crawl”), from Proto-West Germanic *snīkan, from Proto-Germanic *snīkaną (“to creep, crawl”), which is related to the root of snake. Compare Danish snige (“to sneak”), Swedish snika (“to sneak, hanker after”), Icelandic sníkja (“to sneak, hanker after”). Possibly related to snitch.