Word
snuck
US/ˈsnək/
UK/snˈʌk/
Definition
v. moved quietly and secretly so that nobody would see or hear you. It is a past tense form of 'sneak'.
v. the past tense and past participle of 'sneak', primarily used in North American English. Describes moving in a stealthy or furtive manner to avoid detection.
Examples
“He snuck into the kitchen to grab a midnight snack.”
“The children snuck out of the house after their parents had fallen asleep to meet their friends at the park.”
“Although the security guards were patrolling the perimeter every ten minutes, the intruder snuck past the main gate by hiding in the shadows of the delivery truck.”
Examples
simple
“He snuck into the kitchen to grab a midnight snack.”
contextual
“The children snuck out of the house after their parents had fallen asleep to meet their friends at the park.”
complex
“Although the security guards were patrolling the perimeter every ten minutes, the intruder snuck past the main gate by hiding in the shadows of the delivery truck.”
Usage
Commonly used as the past tense of 'sneak' in North American English, though 'sneaked' is the standard form in British English and formal writing.
Pitfall
He has sneaked out already (in US English context)
He has snuck out already
While 'sneaked' is never technically wrong, 'snuck' is the dominant form in informal American English and learners may find it more natural in those contexts.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/snuck