steal

1 of 2

verb

ˈstēl 

stole ˈstōl  ; stolen ˈstō-lən  ; stealing

intransitive verb

1

: to take the property of another wrongfully and especially as a habitual or regular practice

2

: to come or go secretly, unobtrusively, gradually, or unexpectedly

3

: to steal or attempt to steal a base

transitive verb

1

a

: to take or appropriate without right or leave and with intent to keep or make use of wrongfully

stole a car

b

: to take away by force or unjust means

they've stolen our liberty

c

: to take surreptitiously or without permission

steal a kiss

d

: to appropriate to oneself or beyond one's proper share : make oneself the focus of

steal the show

2

a

: to move, convey, or introduce secretly : smuggle

b

: to accomplish in a concealed or unobserved manner

steal a visit

3

a

: to seize, gain, or win by trickery, skill, or daring

a basketball player adept at stealing the ball

stole the election

b

of a base runner : to reach (a base) safely solely by running and usually catching the opposing team off guard

stealable

ˈstē-lə-bəl 

adjective

stealer noun

steal

2 of 2

noun

1

: the act or an instance of stealing

2

: a fraudulent or questionable political deal

3

: bargain sense 2

it's a steal at that price

Phrases

steal a march on

: to gain an advantage on unobserved

steal one's thunder

: to grab attention from another especially by anticipating an idea, plan, or presentation

also : to claim credit for another's idea

Synonyms

Verb

• appropriate
• boost [slang]
• filch
• heist
• hook
• lift
• misappropriate
• nick [British slang]
• nip
• pilfer
• pinch
• pocket
• purloin
• rip off
• snitch
• swipe
• thieve

Noun

• bargain
• buy
• deal
• pennyworth
• snip [British]

Choose the Right Synonym for steal

steal, pilfer, filch, purloin mean to take from another without right or without detection.

steal may apply to any surreptitious taking of something and differs from the other terms by commonly applying to intangibles as well as material things.

steal jewels

stole a look at the gifts

pilfer implies stealing repeatedly in small amounts.

pilfered from his employer

filch adds a suggestion of snatching quickly and surreptitiously.

filched an apple from the tray

purloin stresses removing or carrying off for one's own use or purposes.

printed a purloined document

Examples of steal in a Sentence

Verb

They stole thousands of dollars' worth of jewelry from the store.

He discovered that his car had been stolen.

The store manager accused the boy of stealing.

I stole a cookie from the cookie jar.

They stole our best pitcher away from our team.

His outstanding performance stole the show.

Noun

This car is a steal at only $5,000.

He has 40 steals this season.

a nifty steal by the defender

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

At a glance, Fitzgerald played well enough as a rookie to enter next year as the favorite for starting shortstop, hitting 15 homers, stealing 17 bases and posting an .831 OPS over 96 games. —Justice Delos Santos, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024

The warheads could have been struck accidentally by drones or missiles—or deliberately attacked or stolen. —William M. Moon, Foreign Affairs, 5 Nov. 2024

Noun

Braun has rocketed out of the gate as the Nuggets’ new fifth starter, averaging 16.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, a block and a steal per game through a tenth of the season. —Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 10 Nov. 2024

Luke Kornet started in place of Brown in the second game against the Hornets and dropped 19 points, four rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and one steal. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 3 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English stelen, from Old English stelan; akin to Old High German stelan to steal

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

circa 1825, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing steal

• beg, borrow, or/and steal
• steal a glance
• steal a kiss
• steal a peek/look
• steal someone's thunder
• win/steal/capture one's heart

Kids Definition

steal

1 of 2 verb

ˈstē(ə)l 

stole ˈstōl  ; stolen ˈstō-lən  ; stealing

1

: to come or go secretly or quietly

stole out of the room

2

a

: to take and carry away without right and with the intention of keeping the property of another : rob

b

: to take in a sneaky way and without permission

steal a kiss

c

: to take entirely to oneself or beyond one's proper share

steal the show

3

a

: smuggle sense 2

b

: to accomplish or get in a concealed or unobserved manner

steal a nap

4

a

: to seize, gain, or win by trickery, skill, or daring

the basketball player stole the ball

b

: to gain a base in baseball by running without the aid of a hit or an error

stealer noun

steal

2 of 2 noun

1

: the act or an instance of stealing

2

: something offered or purchased at a low price : bargain

Medical Definition

steal

noun

ˈstēl 

: abnormal circulation characterized by deviation (as through collateral vessels or by backward flow) of blood to tissues where the normal flow of blood has been cut off by occlusion of an artery

subclavian steal

coronary steal

Legal Definition

steal

transitive verb

stole; stolen; stealing

: to take or appropriate without right or consent and with intent to keep or make use of see also robbery, theft

Etymology

Transitive verb

Old English stelan