What does sneaked mean?
Sneaked is the past tense and past participle of the verb sneak. It describes moving, entering, or leaving a place quietly so that other people do not notice, and it can also describe doing something secretly or without permission. Common expressions include sneaking into a room, sneaking out of a building, sneaking a glance, and sneaking information to another person. The word often carries a negative or furtive implication, suggesting concealment or rule-breaking, though it can simply describe moving quietly in a harmless situation. Both sneaked and snuck are accepted forms in modern English; snuck is especially common in informal North American usage. Sneaked is therefore the conventional choice for formal writing, while the two forms are largely interchangeable in everyday speech.
verbPast tense and past participle of sneak. It means to move or enter stealthily, or to do something quietly and without being noticed.
- To enter, leave, or approach a place quietly and without being noticed.
- To do something stealthily or without permission, such as taking an object or gaining access to a restricted area.
- To obtain or reveal something furtively, as in sneaking a look or sneaking information.
- To pass or move quietly and furtively through a place.
"The child sneaked into the kitchen while everyone else was asleep."
"She sneaked a photograph of the performers before the security guards arrived."
"The suspect sneaked through the garden and escaped over the fence."
If you heard someone say they snuck somewhere, they did not make a spelling mistake: snuck is a recognized informal alternative to sneaked.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of sneaked
The verb sneak comes through Middle English from Old English snecan, meaning to creep or move stealthily. Its historical associations with secrecy and stealth are reflected in related forms such as sneaky and sneakily, which developed to describe furtive or underhanded behavior. The variant past form snuck developed later and became particularly familiar in informal American English.
Related word forms
How sneaked is actually used
Sneaked is the standard past form in formal and informal British and American English. Snuck is also widely accepted, particularly in North American informal usage. The word often suggests secrecy, furtiveness, or deliberate avoidance of attention.
Easily confused with sneaked
Both snuck and sneaked are accepted past forms of sneak, but snuck is generally regarded as more informal, especially in North American English.