1
: to go stealthily or furtively : slink
snuck out early
2
: to act in or as if in a furtive manner
3
: to carry the football on a quarterback sneak
: to put, bring, or take in a furtive or artful manner
sneak a smoke
Sneaked vs. Snuck: Usage Guide
From its earliest appearance in print in the late 19th century as a dialectal and probably uneducated form, the past and past participle snuck has risen to the status of standard and to approximate equality with sneaked. It is most common in the U.S. and Canada but has also been spotted in British and Australian English.
1
: a person who acts in a stealthy, furtive, or shifty manner
2
a
: a stealthy or furtive move
b
: an unobserved departure or escape
3
: sneaker sense 2
—usually used in plural
1
: carried on secretly : clandestine
2
: occurring without warning : surprise
a sneak attack
Synonyms
Verb
Noun
Adjective
Examples of sneak in a Sentence
Verb
They tried to sneak into the movie without paying.
She sneaked some cigars through customs.
He snuck a few cookies out of the jar while his mother wasn't looking.
They caught him trying to sneak food into the theater.
Can I sneak a peek at your quiz answers?
Noun
What a rotten sneak! I should have known not to trust her.
He ran a sneak up the middle for a touchdown.
Adjective
a sneak attack on the nation's capitol
Recent Examples on the Web
Dylan Hernández, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2024
Benji would just punch you in the arm and tell you to live more in the moment before sneaking on to a hotel roof and lighting up a joint.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 29 Oct. 2024
Gail Mitchell, Billboard, 29 Oct. 2024
Here's a sneak peak of some of the recipes in this year's cookie book, plus where to find a copy nearest you.
—Alex Groth, Journal Sentinel, 24 Oct. 2024
Mehera Bonner, Marie Claire, 15 Mar. 2017
See all Example Sentences for sneak 
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback
about these examples.
Verb
At one point, Ohtani mischievously sneaked up on Friedman as he was encircled by reporters and sprayed champagne in his face.
—Dylan Hernández, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2024
Benji would just punch you in the arm and tell you to live more in the moment before sneaking on to a hotel roof and lighting up a joint.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 29 Oct. 2024
Noun
Luther Vandross: Artistry and Elegance will open on Nov. 20 with an exclusive preview of the forthcoming documentary Luther: Never Too Much and a sneak peak of the exhibit.
—Gail Mitchell, Billboard, 29 Oct. 2024
Here's a sneak peak of some of the recipes in this year's cookie book, plus where to find a copy nearest you.
—Alex Groth, Journal Sentinel, 24 Oct. 2024
Adjective
Get Ready: Katy Perry Has Released a Sneak Peek of Her New Song
And the internet has receipts.
—Mehera Bonner, Marie Claire, 15 Mar. 2017
See all Example Sentences for sneak
Articles Related to sneak
Video
Sneaked vs. Snuck
How the irregular 'snuck' sneaked into the dictionary
Dictionary Entries Near sneak
Cite this Entry
“Sneak.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sneak. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sneak
2 of 3 noun1
: a person who acts in a secret or sly manner
2
: the act or an instance of sneaking
sneak
3 of 3 adjective1
: carried on secretly : clandestine
2
: occurring without warning
a sneak attack
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share