sneak

B2 · Upper Intermediate

v. to take, give, or bring something secretly.

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

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

“He tried to sneak a glance at his colleague's notes during the meeting to see if his own proposal was mentioned.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate Informal · British English

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

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

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

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

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Informal

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

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

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

“The office environment became toxic when it was discovered that a sneak was reporting private conversations to the department head.”

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Sports American English · Technical

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

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

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

“With only inches to go for a first down, the coach called for a quarterback sneak to secure the position.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate

adj. done or happening in a secret or surprise way.

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

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

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