# sticky fingers

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/sticky-fingers
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

An inclination to steal.

## Examples

- Keep an eye on him, he has sticky fingers.
- The shop owner keeps his expensive items behind glass because some customers have sticky fingers.
- The manager suspected the employee had sticky fingers after several small amounts of cash went missing from the register.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.