## Meanings
1. To move quietly and secretly so that no one notices you.
2. To take or bring something secretly.
3. A person who does things secretly or behaves in a dishonest way.

## Examples
- He tried to sneak into the house without waking his parents.
- She sneaked a chocolate bar into the cinema.
- My little brother is such a sneak; he read my diary.

## Synonyms
- creep
- hake
- scunge
- shug
- skulk
- slink
- slive
- steal
- tiptoe

## Derived Forms
- goalsneak
- sneak-cup
- sneakage
- sneakbox
- sneaker
- sneakery
- sneakflation
- sneakily
- sneakiness
- sneakish
- sneaksman
- sneaksome

## Related Forms
- covert

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: sniken
- Root: snīcan
- Root: *snīkan
- Root: *snīkaną

## Etymology
Possibly from Middle English sniken (“to creep, crawl”), from Old English snīcan (“to creep, crawl”), from Proto-West Germanic *snīkan, from Proto-Germanic *snīkaną (“to creep, crawl”), which is related to the root of snake. Compare Danish snige (“to sneak”), Swedish snika (“to sneak, hanker after”), Icelandic sníkja (“to sneak, hanker after”). Possibly related to snitch.

## AI Etymology
Sneak: Possibly from Middle English sniken (“to creep, crawl”), from Old English snīcan (“to creep, crawl”), from Proto-West Germanic *snīkan, from Proto-Germanic *snīkaną (“to creep, crawl”), which is related to the root of snake. Compare Danish snige (“to sneak”), Swedish snika (“to sneak, hanker after”), Icelandic sníkja (“to sneak, hanker after”). Possibly related to snitch. Important forms in the word's history include Middle English sniken, Old English snīcan, Proto-West Germanic *snīkan, Proto-Germanic *snīkaną. In current use it includes senses such as To move quietly and secretly so that no one notices you and To take or bring something secretly.

## Topics
- Verbs of Movement

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sneak

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