steal

UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈstiːl/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/stil/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(stēl)

Inflections of 'steal' (v): (⇒ conjugate)
steals
v 3rd person singular
stealing
v pres p
stole
v past
stolen
v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
steal /stil/USA pronunciation   v., stole/stoʊl/USA pronunciation  sto•len, steal•ing, n. 
v. 
  1. to take (the property of another) without permission or right, esp. secretly or by force: [~ + object]Someone stole my dad's car last night.[no object]The two brothers were always stealing from each other.
  2. [~ + object] to take and use (ideas, credit, etc.) without right or acknowledgment.
  3. to take or win secretly, quickly, or without others' knowing or seeing:[~ + object]He stole my girlfriend.
  4. to move or (cause to) go secretly or quietly: [no object]He stole away into the night.[~ + object]She stole the dog upstairs at bedtime.
  5. to pass, happen, etc., gradually or with little notice:[no object]The years steal by.
  6. Sport[Baseball.](of a base runner) to reach (a base) safely by running while the ball is being pitched to the player at bat: [~ + object]He'll steal third base if he gets the chance.[no object]Will he steal if he gets the chance?

n. [countable]
  1. Informal Termssomething bought at a cost far below its real value;
    a bargain:What a steal: a genuine antique that was only five bucks!
  2. Sport[Baseball.]the act of advancing a base by stealing.
Idioms
  1. Idioms steal someone's thunder:
    • to accept credit for another's work.
    • to remove attention from another's achievement by some action that anticipates it.
  2. Idioms steal the scene or show:
    • to take credit for something unfairly.
    • to be more outstanding than anyone or anything else:The newcomer stole the show and received a standing ovation.


WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
steal (stēl),USA pronunciation  v., stole, sto•len, steal•ing, n. 

v.t. 
  1. to take (the property of another or others) without permission or right, esp. secretly or by force:A pickpocket stole his watch.
  2. to appropriate (ideas, credit, words, etc.) without right or acknowledgment.
  3. to take, get, or win insidiously, surreptitiously, subtly, or by chance:He stole my girlfriend.
  4. to move, bring, convey, or put secretly or quietly;
    smuggle (usually fol. by away, from, in, into, etc.):They stole the bicycle into the bedroom to surprise the child.
  5. Sport[Baseball.](of a base runner) to gain (a base) without the help of a walk or batted ball, as by running to it during the delivery of a pitch.
  6. Gamesto gain (a point, advantage, etc.) by strategy, chance, or luck.
  7. to gain or seize more than one's share of attention in, as by giving a superior performance:The comedian stole the show.

v.i. 
  1. to commit or practice theft.
  2. to move, go, or come secretly, quietly, or unobserved:She stole out of the house at midnight.
  3. to pass, happen, etc., imperceptibly, gently, or gradually:The years steal by.
  4. Sport[Baseball.](of a base runner) to advance a base without the help of a walk or batted ball.
  5. steal someone's thunder, to appropriate or use another's idea, plan, words, etc.

n. 
  1. Informal Termsan act of stealing;
    theft.
  2. Informal Termsthe thing stolen;
    booty.
  3. Informal Termssomething acquired at a cost far below its real value;
    bargain:This dress is a steal at $40.
  4. Sport[Baseball.]the act of advancing a base by stealing.
  • bef. 900; 1860–65 for def. 5; Middle English stelen, Old English stelan; cognate with German stehlen, Old Norse stela, Gothic stilan
steal′a•ble, adj. 
steal′er, n. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
steal /stiːl/ vb (steals, stealing, stole, stolen)
  1. to take (something) from someone, etc without permission or unlawfully, esp in a secret manner
  2. (transitive) to obtain surreptitiously
  3. (transitive) to appropriate (ideas, etc) without acknowledgment, as in plagiarism
  4. to move or convey stealthily: they stole along the corridor
  5. (intransitive) to pass unnoticed: the hours stole by
  6. (transitive) to win or gain by strategy or luck, as in various sports: to steal a few yards
 n informal
  1. the act of stealing
  2. something stolen or acquired easily or at little cost
Etymology: Old English stelan; related to Old Frisian, Old Norse stela Gothic stilan, German stehlen
'steal' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
bag - bird-nesting - blag - Blood - bluesnarfing - bone - carjack - clepsydra - convey - cop - crib - duff - filch - flog - get away - grasp - heist - hook - kidnap - kleptomania - knock off - liberate - lift - loot - lurch - make away - make off - march - misappropriate - mooch - nick - nip - nobble - phone-jack - pick - pilfer - pinch - plunder - poach - pocket - prig - purloin - raid - ram raid - resurrect - rifle - rip off - run away - run off - rustle
Collocations: the [team, player] made five steals, steal [money, food, a TV, someone else's property], the [quarterback, visiting team] suffered [four] steals, more...

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