sneak
Base form
sneak
/sniːk/
Past simple
sneakedsneaked / snuck
/sniːkt//sniːkt/ /snʌk/
Past participle
sneakedsneaked / snuck
/sniːkt//sniːkt/ /snʌk/
MeaningC1
to go somewhere secretly and quietly
to get a sneak peek
In use
- After a modal verb · Form 1We could sneak out before the speeches start.
- Negative · Form 1Don’t sneak food into the cinema!
- Past simple · Form 2Last night the kids sneaked downstairs to watch TV.Last night the kids snuck downstairs to watch TV.
- Past simple · Form 2Yesterday I sneaked a biscuit from the jar when Mum wasn’t looking.Yesterday I snuck a cookie from the jar when Mom wasn’t looking.
- Present perfect · Form 3Someone has sneaked into my room and read my diary!Someone has snuck into my room and read my diary!
- Past perfect · Form 3The cat had sneaked into the car before we left.The cat had snuck into the car before we left.
Watch out
Sneaked is the standard past; snuck is common in informal and American English. Snuk and sneaken are wrong.
Same pattern
A — B — BForms two and three are the same
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