/ sniːk; NAmE / verb , noun , adjective
■ verb
HELP NOTE : The usual past form is sneaked , but snuck is now very common in informal speech in NAmE and some people use it in BrE too. However, many people think that it is not correct and it should not be used in formal writing.
1.
[ v + adv. / prep. ] to go somewhere secretly, trying to avoid being seen
SYN creep :
I sneaked up the stairs.
2.
to do sth or take sb/sth somewhere secretly, often without permission :
[ vn ]
We sneaked a look at her diary.
[ vn , vnn ]
I managed to sneak a note to him.
I managed to sneak him a note.
3.
[ vn ] ( informal ) to secretly take sth small or unimportant
SYN pinch :
I sneaked a cake when they were out of the room.
4.
[ v ] sneak (on sb) (to sb) ( old-fashioned , BrE , disapproving ) to tell an adult that another child has done sth wrong, especially in order to cause trouble
SYN snitch :
Did you sneak on me to the teacher?
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PHRASAL VERBS
- sneak up (on sb/sth)
■ noun
( old-fashioned , BrE , disapproving ) a person, especially a child, who tells sb about sth wrong that another person has done
SYN snitch
■ adjective
[ only before noun ] done without any warning :
a sneak attack
••
WORD ORIGIN
late 16th cent.: probably dialect; perhaps related to obsolete snike to creep .