DictionaryAI

steal

STEEL/stiːl/

Verbsteals, stealing, stole, stolen

Noun pluralsteals

Often confused with rob

16 meanings of steal

Practice

  1. 1
    take propertyverbtransitive
    To take property belonging to someone else without permission or legal right, intending not to return it.

    Thieves broke in overnight to steal jewelry and cash.

    She stole a wallet from an unattended bag on the train.

    UsageYou steal a thing from a person or place, but you rob the person or place. Past forms: stole, stolen.

    Similartake, pilfer, snatch, filch, purloin

  2. 2
    cleverly gainverbtransitive
    To obtain or accomplish something in a quiet, clever, or sly manner.

    Between meetings, they would steal a few minutes alone.

    He stole a glance at the clock during the lecture.

    UsageCommon pairings: steal a glance, steal a look, steal a kiss, steal a few minutes.

    Similarsnatch, sneak, grab

    Note

    Here what is stolen is a moment or an effect. It is gained by stealth rather than taken from anyone: steal a glance, steal a few minutes. Older prose stretched the idea further. In his essay "Of Great Place," Francis Bacon advises a man who changes his course to say so plainly and "not think to steal it." He means slipping the change past others without announcing it.

    Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

    • Francis Bacon's essay "Of Great Place" advises openly declaring a change of opinion or course and contains the exact words "not think to steal it." gutenberg.org
    • In this passage, stealing the change means making it covertly rather than announcing it. gutenberg.org
  3. 3
    win attentionverbtransitive
    To unexpectedly become the center of attention in a performance, especially by outshining everyone else.

    The supporting actor threatened to steal the show in every scene.

    A surprise guest stole the show during the finale.

    UsageUsually in the set phrase steal the show, sometimes steal the spotlight or steal the scene.

  4. 4
    use without creditverbtransitive
    To take someone else's idea, work, words, joke, or style and use or present it as one's own without giving credit.

    Rivals often steal ideas from smaller startups without credit.

    The producer was accused of stealing a beat from an unknown artist.

    UsageOften steal an idea, a design or a joke from someone.

    Note

    Theft moves into the studio and the office. What is taken is an idea, words, music, a look, or even credit itself. Nothing physical goes missing, so the wrong lies in the missing acknowledgement. Stealing an idea or a beat is a serious charge in music and business. The same verb also covers the lighter habit of borrowing a friend's punchline or clever phrase.

  5. 5
    bargainnounslangfigurativelycountable
    An item offered at a strikingly low price, or the bargain purchase of it.

    The vintage sofa was a steal at the estate sale.

    For a barely used camera, forty dollars is a steal.

    UsageUsually a steal, in phrases like a steal at that price or what a steal!

    Similarbargain, snip, giveaway, deal

    Oppositerip-off

    Note

    Hyperbole about price: a deal so good that buying it feels like getting away with theft. The noun answers the verb for buying cheap.

  6. 6
    takeaway (sports)nouncountable
    A play in which a defensive player takes possession of the ball or puck from the opposing team.

    His steal in the closing seconds sealed the win.

    The guard recorded four steals in a single half.

    Similartakeaway

    Note

    Basketball keeps it as a statistic credited to one defender, so it counts naturally: four steals in a half. Ice hockey records comparable plays as takeaways. Credit requires the defending team to gain possession, not merely disrupt the opponent. Compare the baseball stolen base, where the offense does the stealing. Here it is the defense that steals.

    Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 4 facts

    • Basketball records steals as a defensive statistic. nba.com
    • The NHL records comparable plays as takeaways. nhl.com
    • The defending team must gain possession; the credited defender may deflect the ball to a teammate. en.wikipedia.org
    • A baseball stolen base is credited to an offensive baserunner. mlb.com
  7. 7
    take a baseverbtransitive
    To advance safely to another base during the delivery of a pitch, without the aid of a hit, walk, or fielding lapse.

    He stole third base on the very next pitch.

    Fast runners often steal second base when the catcher hesitates.

    UsageUsually with the base as object: steal second, steal third, steal home.

    Note

    The definition works by exclusion. If a hit, a walk or defensive indifference moved the runner, the advance is not a steal. A wild pitch or passed ball need not prevent credit if the runner started before delivery. The counted result is the noun for a stolen base.

  8. 8
    base gainednouncountable
    A successful advance by a baserunner to the next base without the aid of a hit, walk, or error.

    His steal in the seventh inning shifted the momentum.

    The catcher's weak arm gave the speedy runner an easy steal of third base.

    Note

    The bookkeeping side of the baseball verb. Steals are tallied for each runner and each team, so the word is freely countable, and a season's total can set a franchise record. It is shorthand for stolen base, the fuller term it replaces.

    Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

Practice

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Origin

Steal comes from Middle English "stelen," from Old English "stelan," going back through Proto-West Germanic "*stelan" to Proto-Germanic "*stelaną." It is related to Dutch "stelen," German "stehlen," Swedish "stjäla," and Gothic "stilan," all meaning "to steal." Origins beyond Germanic have been proposed but remain uncertain.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 6 facts