ENGLISH
REFERENCE

sneak

v. · n. · adj.
US //ˈsnik// UK //snˈiːk// sneak
Irregular verb past sneaked / snuck (US) past participle sneaked / snuck (US)
  1. 1 to move stealthily (v.)
    B1 Intermediate

    to move quietly and secretly so that people do not see or hear you.

    to move in a stealthy or surreptitious manner to avoid detection.

    Example

    I tried to sneak into the house without waking my parents.

    Example

    The teenagers attempted to sneak past the security guard, but the gravel crunching under their boots gave them away immediately.
  2. 2 to take or bring secretly (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to take, give, or bring something secretly.

    to convey or obtain something surreptitiously, often bypassing rules or observation.

    Example

    She managed to sneak some snacks into the cinema in her large bag.

    Example

    He tried to sneak a glance at his colleague's notes during the meeting to see if his own proposal was mentioned.
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  1. 3 to tell on someone (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Informal British English

    to tell a person in authority about something bad that someone else has done.

    to inform an authority figure of another person's misconduct or secrets.

    Example

    Don't sneak on your brother just because he stayed up late.

    Example

    The younger students were warned not to sneak on their peers, as the school culture valued loyalty over strict rule enforcement.

    Usage

    usually takes the preposition 'on'
  2. 4 a person who tells on others (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Informal

    a person who secretly tells an authority about someone else's mistakes.

    a person who acts in a stealthy or underhanded way, particularly an informer or tell-tale.

    Example

    Nobody liked him because he was a sneak who told the teacher everything.

    Example

    The office environment became toxic when it was discovered that a sneak was reporting private conversations to the department head.
  3. 5 American football play (n.)
    C1 Advanced American English Technical Sport

    a play where the quarterback dives forward with the ball to gain a short distance.

    an offensive play in which the quarterback takes the snap and immediately lunges forward.

    Example

    The team won the game with a clever sneak on the final play.

    Example

    With only inches to go for a first down, the coach called for a quarterback sneak to secure the position.
    • quarterback sneak
  4. 6 secret or surprise (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    done or happening in a secret or surprise way.

    acting or occurring in a stealthy, unannounced, or surreptitious manner.

    Example

    The army launched a sneak attack in the middle of the night.

    Example

    The studio arranged a sneak preview of the film to gauge audience reactions before the global marketing campaign began.
Origin

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.

Word family
Idioms1 entry

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