verb
sneak
sneek
verb
1
To move quietly and carefully so as not to be noticed.
"He tried to sneak past the guard without making a sound."
"The kids snuck downstairs to peek at their presents."
2
To take something without permission, doing it quietly and secretly.
"She snuck a cookie from the jar before dinner."
"He sneaked a look at the answer sheet."
adjective
1
Done secretly, or released ahead of the official date.
"The studio arranged a sneak preview of the film for critics."
How to Use Sneak
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishMoving or acting secretly so nobody notices, often to avoid getting caught.
Common mistake
"Sneaked" and "snuck" are both accepted past tenses in modern English — "snuck" is more common in casual American speech.
Common pairings
sneak past
sneak a peek
sneak preview
sneak out
Word Forms
sneaked past tense, snuck past tense, sneaks singular
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Etymology
From Old English snīcan ("to creep"), related to the word "snake" — both describe low, quiet movement.