v. 1 take (away), appropriate, filch, shoplift, pilfer, purloin, make or walk off or away with, get away with; embezzle, misappropriate, peculate; Colloq lift, pinch, hook, snitch, borrow, US boost, liberate, heist, hijack, Slang swipe, Brit nick, prig, US hoist The thieves stole only the emeralds, leaving the diamonds The bookkeeper stole the money by diverting it into his own account. 2 plagiarize, pirate, copy, imitate, appropriate, usurp, take He claims that the story of the film was stolen from his short story 3 sneak, creep, slip, tiptoe, prowl, lurk, skulk, Colloq pussyfoot Silently, we stole into the garden at the rear of the house
n. 4 bargain, (good) buy, Colloq give-away: At that price, the rug was a steal!