sneak

Sneak is a verb that primarily means to move quietly and secretly in order to avoid being noticed. It can also mean to obtain or accomplish something by stealth or deceit. As a noun, a sneak can refer to a person who acts furtively or dishonestly, or to someone who moves or acts with stealth. The term appears in a variety of common phrases, including sneak up, sneak in, sneak out, sneak a look, and sneak peek.

Movement and behavior associated with sneaking typically emphasizes quiet, careful actions and low-profile posture. A person who sneaks aims to minimize noise, visibility, and attention, often by treading softly, avoiding direct lines of sight, and choosing covert routes. Sneaking can be physical, such as slipping past guards, or figurative, such as slipping information or an item into a place without authorization.

In everyday language, sneaking carries a range of connotations from neutral to disapproving. It is often described as prudent or cautious in benign contexts, but can be viewed as deceitful or untrustworthy when it involves deception or wrongdoing. In entertainment and technology, the concept appears in phrases like stealth gameplay, where players minimize detection, or in features described as sneak previews or sneak peeks, which reveal content ahead of an official release.

Etymology traces sneak to Old English snæcan, meaning to creep or crawl, with related forms in other Germanic languages. Over time, the sense expanded to cover both motion and actions conducted covertly.