sneak thief

noun

: a thief who steals whatever is readily available without using violence or forcibly breaking into buildings

Examples of sneak thief in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Jake Gyllenhaal lost 20 pounds to play Louis Bloom, the ghoulish sneak thief-turned-freelance crime scene journalist, in this alternately gripping and skin-crawling drama. Dennis Perkins, EW.com, 2 Aug. 2022

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1859, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sneak thief was circa 1859

Dictionary Entries Near sneak thief

Cite this Entry

“Sneak thief.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sneak%20thief. Accessed 15 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on sneak thief

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!