The Meaning of Snuck: What It Is and How To Use It

Do you know the definition of snuck? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on the word snuck, including its definition, etymology and word origin, usage, example sentences, and more!

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What does the word snuck mean?

According to Collins English Dictionary, and the American Heritage Unabridged  Dictionary of the English Language, the word snuck is the past participle of sneak. The past tense form of sneak means having moved furtively or stealthily. This is one of the best examples of irregularization of a regular verb, as this irregular form snuck also follows what words like creak and squeak do. The pronunciation of snuck is snʌk.

Many words and phrases come from the word sneak: 

  •  sneakiness
  •  sneaker
  •  sneak in
  •  sneak off
  •  sneak peek
  •  sneaking suspicion
  •  sneak thief
  •  sneak preview
  •  sneak around
  •  sneak away
  •  sneak up/sneak up on
  •  sneakily
  •  sneak out
  •  sneaky

Many different languages around the world contain words that mean sneak. You may notice that many of these translations from Word Sense look and sound similar to one another. These are called cognates, which are often formed when two words in different languages have the same root or language of origin. How many of these translations of snuck do you know?

  •  Maori: whakameto‎, mōtorotoro‎, whakamomoka‎
  •  German: schleichen‎
  •  Spanish: moverse con sigilo‎, reper‎, serper‎, herper‎
  •  Portuguese: esgueirar‎
  •  Finnish: hiipiä‎, hiippailla‎, hiiviskellä‎
  •  Vietnamese: trộm‎
  •  Swedish: smyga‎
  •  Dutch: sluipen‎, rondsluipen‎, wegsluipen‎
  •  French: faucher‎, piquer‎, resquiller‎
  •  Norwegian: snike‎

What is the origin of the word snuck?

According to The Free Dictionary, the word snuck was first recorded at the end of the 19th century and comes from the Middle English sniken, Old English snīcan to creep, and Old Norse snīkja to hanker after

What are synonyms and antonyms of snuck?

There are a number of different words that a person can choose to use in place of the word snuck. These are called synonyms, which are words and phrases that have the same meaning or definition as another given word or phrase. Learning synonyms is a great way to easily expand your English language vocabulary and help you avoid repeating yourself when writing or speaking. The below list of synonyms for the word sneak is provided by Power Thesaurus

  •  stalker
  •  snarf
  •  filch
  •  rat
  •  ratfink
  •  hide
  •  move furtively
  •  slink
  •  knave
  •  furtive
  •  dastard
  •  snake in grass
  •  move stealthily
  •  worm
  •  skulk
  •  surreptitious
  •  prowling
  •  creeping
  •  creep
  •  infiltrate
  •  slither
  •  duck the issues
  •  blackguard
  •  stool pigeon
  •  slipping
  •  nobble
  •  cower
  •  private
  •  glide
  •  sidle
  •  edge
  •  butt kisser
  •  informer
  •  sneak out
  •  snake
  •  slipped
  •  snitch
  •  nark
  •  take furtively
  •  shirk
  •  hidden
  •  mouse
  •  stoolpigeon
  •  take surreptitiously
  •  informant
  •  swipe
  •  slide
  •  snitcher
  •  rogue
  •  clandestine
  •  purloin
  •  grovel
  •  sneaking
  •  bring surreptitiously
  •  crawl
  •  inch
  •  abstract
  •  smuggle
  •  pinch
  •  lurk
  •  reptile
  •  lift
  •  approach unnoticed
  •  pussyfoot
  •  canary
  •  sneaked
  •  thieve
  •  stolen
  •  skulking
  •  stealthy
  •  prowler
  •  coward
  •  stoolie
  •  slinking
  •  tiptoe
  •  secret
  •  poltroon
  •  gumshoe
  •  squealer
  •  pilfer
  •  steal
  •  dob
  •  sneaker
  •  slip
  •  bring secretly
  •  prowl
  •  cabbage
  •  sneaky
  •  snake in the grass
  •  pad
  •  hook
  •  sidled
  •  wriggle
  •  weasel
  •  snatch
  •  fink
  •  slunk
  •  creeps
  •  crept
  •  drive in

There are also many different words that mean the opposite of snuck. These opposite words are called antonyms, which are another great way to expand your vocabulary. This list of antonyms is also provided by Power Thesaurus.

  •  love giver
  •  emphasize that
  •  work one’s socks off
  •   race
  •  provide
  •  public
  •  pound
  •  shown
  •  informative
  •  lion
  •  man of honor
  •  jogtrot
  •  telltale
  •  illustrate that
  •  telling
  •  obvious
  •  hurry
  •  publicized
  •  proclaim that
  •  hurtle
  •  rush
  •  leisurely
  •  polished man
  •  man of his word
  •  show how something works
  •  hare
  •  indicative
  •  hasten
  •  speed
  •  patent
  •  manifest
  •  show how something is done
  •  lope
  •  refined man
  •  shoot
  •  open
  •  scuttle
  •  plain
  •  overt
  •  scurry
  •  sweep
  •  significant
  •  signify that
  •  hustle
  •  highlight that
  •  straightforward
  •  streak
  •  transparent
  •  go like the wind
  •  illuminating
  •  jog
  •  scamper
  •  stark
  •  spread throughout
  •  action man
  •  come into view
  •  sprint
  •  move violently
  •  convey that
  •  divulging
  •  unconcealed
  •  dart
  •  easygoing
  •  evident
  •  fly
  •  bound
  •  give
  •  come out
  •  nice person
  •  catch a whiff
  •  soul mate
  •  dash
  •  bolt
  •  gallop
  •  tell the future
  •  hightail it
  •  heroic kid
  •  tell a story
  •  tell its own story
  •  indicate that
  •  demonstrate that
  •  hightail
  •  flash
  •  go hell for leather
  •  gait
  •  hospitable
  •  dogtrot
  •  stand
  •  show that
  •  charge
  •  go like lightning
  •  run
  •  stumble
  •  organ donor
  •  acknowledged
  •  courageous young man
  •  risk-taker
  •  double
  •  career

How can the word snuck be used in a sentence?

The word snuck can be used in many different sentences in American English and British English. Using words in a sentence is a great way to memorize their definition. You can also try making flashcards or quizzes for yourself to see how good your vocabulary is. Try using this word of the day in a sentence today. Below are a couple of different examples of snuck to get you started. 

We snuck a peek into the movie theater. They were playing all of the most popular films from the UK, Canada and the United States, which we rarely saw in Russia. 

The journalism student Dove snuck into the conference for educated speakers in a furtive manner. Her belletristic writing stood out amongst the professional writers – mostly middle-aged persons of all educational levels – and she hoped to find someone to share her fiction writing and formal writing with. 

The student snuck a cigarette into the lecture hall in her pocket. Despite her popularity, she was kicked out. 

The Americans snuck into the hotel talking in Brit dialects, but fooled no one around the globe with their hustle. They tried a second time someplace different, but it also did not work.

Overall, the word snuck means the past participle of sneak, which means to lurk about furtively. Try using this word of the day in a sentence today, or learning all of the different tenses of the verb sneak so that you can talk about it in any context!

Sources:

  1. Snuck – definition of snuck by | The Free Dictionary 
  2. Sneak definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary
  3. Sneak synonyms – 1 216 Words and Phrases for Sneak | Power Thesaurus  
  4. Sneak antonyms – 76 Opposites of Sneak | Power Thesaurus 
  5. sneak: meaning, origin, translation | Word Sense