steal 1 of 2

verb

ˈstēl How to pronounce steal (audio)
Definition of stealnext
1
as in to swipe
to take (something) without right and with an intent to keep the guy who tried to steal my car was sentenced to a year in jail

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to sneak
to move about in a sly or secret manner the teenagers were able to steal past a security guard and enter the fairgrounds without paying admission

Synonyms & Similar Words

steal

2 of 2

noun

as in bargain
something bought or offered for sale at a desirable price at 50% off, that shirt is a real steal

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb steal differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of steal are filch, pilfer, and purloin. While all these words mean "to take from another without right or without detection," steal may apply to any surreptitious taking of something and differs from the other terms by commonly applying to intangibles as well as material things.

steal jewels
stole a look at the gifts

In what contexts can filch take the place of steal?

The meanings of filch and steal largely overlap; however, filch adds a suggestion of snatching quickly and surreptitiously.

filched an apple from the tray

When might pilfer be a better fit than steal?

While the synonyms pilfer and steal are close in meaning, pilfer implies stealing repeatedly in small amounts.

pilfered from his employer

When could purloin be used to replace steal?

The synonyms purloin and steal are sometimes interchangeable, but purloin stresses removing or carrying off for one's own use or purposes.

printed a purloined document

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of steal
Verb
Bitcoin may have broken $80,000, but Solana is stealing the spotlight. — Camila Grigera Naón, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026 In no time, whispers and rumors started circulating about fish escaping—or being stolen from—a legal arapaima farm and ending up in private ponds, lakes, and public rivers. — Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 26 Aug. 2026
Noun
Even if a hacker shoulder-surfs or outright steals that password, the MFA requirement will stop them in their tracks. — Neil J. Rubenking, PC Magazine, 24 Aug. 2026 Seattle’s Julio Rodriguez hits his 20th homer to become only the fourth rookie to have a season of 20 homers and 20 steals. — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for steal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for steal
  1. swipe
  2. sneak
  3. bargain
  4. rob
  5. lurk
  6. deal
  7. grab
  8. slip
Verb
  • Ewing swiped two bases to give him 21 steals, tied with Gregg Jefferies (1989) for third-most in team history by a rookie.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Irving swiped through the flirtations without a second glance.
    — Eric Lach, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of swipe
Verb
  • Manual friction sneaks in as systems fail to scale with growth or suffer from poor implementation.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Both were placed on IR-return, which allowed 23-year-old Jacob Bayer to sneak onto the roster after a fantastic camp.
    — Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of sneak
Noun
  • Higgins was also there in person to witness the bargain go down and the specific number — 10 — of dates reached.
    — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 26 Aug. 2026
  • With companies in the SOX growing forward earnings per share at an annual rate of about 70%, Arya thinks the SOX multiple looks like a bargain.
    — Tobias Burns, CNBC, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of bargain
Verb
  • Named after Blythe Street — a short thoroughfare flanked by overcrowded apartments — the crew had robbed, stole, peddled drugs and shot up rivals since the 1980s, seemingly untroubled by the city of Los Angeles’ attempts to defeat it.
    — Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The backlash against hyperscale data centers has converted both Democrats and Republicans into AI skeptics, warning that the industry’s rise risks robbing communities of autonomy.
    — David Weigel, semafor.com, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of rob
Verb
  • Regardless of whether mines still lurk in the water, Iran's threat to attack ships has kept traffic to a minimum.
    — Mark Osborne, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Superstitious Romans imagined demons lurking in the darkness under the toilet seats.
    — Andrew Coletti, Popular Science, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of lurk
Noun
  • Below, find last-chance deals on summer sandals, fall-ready booties, ultra-cute ballet flats, and more for up to 79 percent off.
    — Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026
  • However, as the clock ticked past 11pm, the Camara deal was suddenly off.
    — Nick Miller, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of deal
Verb
  • Mishka Wilonski had just grabbed pizza from a nearby shop and was walking outside with a friend when the crash happened.
    — Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Michael grabbed him, rushed out of the house, and blew through several red lights on the way to the hospital.
    — Ruby Cramer, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of grab
Verb
  • The metalpoint tool sometimes slips or skitters; the fountain pen sometimes stops working—though, deprived of vision, the artist is unaware, and keeps drawing the now-invisible line.
    — Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The 49ers, an otherwise good team, have for the past couple of months been weaving and slipping bad news like a boxer trying to avoid a knockout punch.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of slip

Phrases Containing steal

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steak houses
steal
stealer
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Cite this Entry

“Steal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/steal. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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