sneak
sneak — verb
1. to move quietly and without attracting notice when going to, from, or past a pla
to move quietly and without attracting notice when going to, from, or past a place; or to bring, take, or put a person or thing somewhere without being seen or caught.
Ravindra sneaked out of the house while his parents were asleep.
intransitive: sneak out of [place]
Henrik sneaked his phone into the exam room without anyone noticing.
transitive: sneak [object] into [place]
The cat sneaked up on the bird in the garden.
Tendai sneaked a note into Sumin's bag during lunch.
Jessica sneaked past the security guard through the back entrance.
文法句型
sneak + adverb/preposition
sneak + object + adverb/preposition
sneak up on + object
用法筆記
Common in the pattern sneak + adverb/preposition (out, in, past, around, up). The past tense can be sneaked (standard) or snuck (informal, especially in American English).
常見錯誤
2. to inform a person in authority, such as a teacher or parent, about another pers
to inform a person in authority, such as a teacher or parent, about another person's behaviour that breaks rules, often in a way that others consider mean or dishonourable.
Romi sneaked on her younger brother for eating sweets before dinner.
sneak on [someone] + for doing [something]
Omar sneaked to the principal about the students smoking behind the gym.
The other children called Christopher a sneak for telling the teacher about the broken window.
Nobody wanted to play with Sari after she sneaked on them for using bad language.
- cover up
to hide someone's wrongdoing instead of reporting it
文法句型
sneak on + person
sneak to + authority figure
用法筆記
Primarily used by and about children in British English. This sense has a strong negative connotation — the person who sneaks is seen as untrustworthy. In American English, tattle (on) is more common.
常見錯誤
3. to direct a quick, secret glance at a person or thing that you are not supposed
to direct a quick, secret glance at a person or thing that you are not supposed to be looking at.
Vinícius sneaked a look at the test paper when the teacher turned around.
sneak a look at [something]
Tamar sneaked a peek at the birthday presents hidden in the wardrobe.
Reema sneaked a glance at her watch during the long meeting.
The journalist sneaked a look at the confidential folder on the manager's desk.
文法句型
sneak a look at + object
sneak a peek at + object
sneak a glance at + object
用法筆記
Always used with a following noun phrase describing the act of looking: a look, a peek, a glance. The object of the look is typically introduced by at.
常見錯誤
4. to take something without permission, especially something small or of little va
to take something without permission, especially something small or of little value, often in a way meant to avoid being noticed.
Someone sneaked Reema's lunch from the office fridge yesterday.
sneak [object] from [place]
Tamar sneaked a few coins from her mother's purse when she was not looking.
The boy sneaked a chocolate bar from the shop while the cashier was busy.
Henrik sneaked some of his roommate's snacks from the shared kitchen.
- return
to give something back
文法句型
sneak + object + from + person/place
用法筆記
Unlike steal, sneak emphasises the secrecy and the small scale of the taking rather than the legal seriousness. The object taken is usually something like food, money, or a small item.
常見錯誤
sneak — noun
1. a person, especially a child at school, who secretly tells an authority figure w
a person, especially a child at school, who secretly tells an authority figure when someone else has done something wrong, and is therefore disliked or distrusted.
The other prisoners hated the sneak who told the guards about the escape plan.
derogatory noun: a sneak who tells [about something]
Nobody trusted Eva after the teachers found out she was a sneak.
The novel's main character is a sneak who reports neighbours to the secret police.
Being called a sneak is one of the worst labels a child can get.
用法筆記
Strongly negative and insulting. Used mainly among children and teenagers, or metaphorically to criticise someone who secretly reports on others.
2. a light, comfortable shoe with a rubber sole, worn for sports, running, or casua
a light, comfortable shoe with a rubber sole, worn for sports, running, or casual daily wear.
Jessica bought a pair of white sneakers for her morning runs in the park.
plural form sneakers most common
The sports teacher told the students to wear their sneakers to gym class.
Romi's new sneakers were covered in mud after the football game.
Christopher tied his sneakers tightly before starting the race.
- trainer
British English equivalent
- athletic shoe
more formal term
- running shoe
specific type of sneaker for running
用法筆記
Almost always used in the plural form sneakers. In British English, the equivalent word is trainer. The singular sneak is not used for this meaning; the singular form is sneaker.
常見錯誤
3. a short running play in American football where the quarterback dives forward th
a short running play in American football where the quarterback dives forward through the defensive line, usually to gain a yard or two.
The quarterback executed a perfect sneak and gained two yards on the play.
American football idiom: quarterback sneak
The coach called a quarterback sneak on fourth down with one yard to go.
Their defence stopped the sneak, and the team lost possession of the ball.
On third down, the quarterback attempted a sneak but was tackled at the line.
用法筆記
Almost always used in the compound quarterback sneak. This is a technical sports term, unlikely to appear in general conversation outside American football contexts.
sneak — adjective
1. happening, done, or shown without being announced or known in advance, so that o
happening, done, or shown without being announced or known in advance, so that only a select few people know about it.
The studio held a sneak preview of the film for critics and journalists.
sneak preview — regular compound noun
Ravindra took a sneak peek at the exam results before they were officially posted.
sneak peek — informal compound noun
The troops launched a sneak attack on the enemy camp just before dawn.
The company organised a sneak tour of the new factory for important investors.
- secret
more general; can be used in any position in a sentence
- clandestine
more formal and serious; implies deliberate concealment
- covert
formal, often used in military or intelligence contexts
文法句型
sneak + noun
usually in compound nouns
用法筆記
The adjective sneak is always used before a noun (attributive) and is almost never used predicatively (❌ 'The preview was sneak'). It forms common compound nouns like sneak preview, sneak peek, and sneak attack.