26984 words

steal

12 definitions • 22 examples
1
to take something without the permission or knowledge of the owner and keep it:

Examples:

steal something from someone She admitted stealing the money from her employers.
The number of cars which are stolen every year has risen.
They were so poor they had to steal in order to eat.
2
to do something quickly or without being noticed:

Examples:

steal a glance She stole a glance at her watch.
steal out of He stole out of the room while no one was looking.
3
In baseball, if you steal a base, you run from one of the bases (= positions on a square that a player must reach to score a point) to the next one while the pitcher is throwing the ball, and when the hitter does not then hit it, and you reach the base before an opponent can touch you with the ball:

Examples:

steal a base He is not a fast runner and has not stolen a base all year.
steal first/second/third base Roberts stole second base easily.
It looked like the pitcher was going to throw an off-speed pitch, so Torres decided to steal.
4
In sports such as basketball, rugby, and football, to take the ball from an opponent:

Examples:

Thomas stole the ball and ran the length of the field to score.
She stole the ball in the tackle and fed her fly-half.
5
a product that has a very low price, or a price that is much lower than the original cost:

Examples:

I picked up a new iron in the sale - it was a steal.
6
another word for
7
to take something without the permission or knowledge of the owner and keep it or use it:

Examples:

[ T ] They broke into cars to steal the radios.
[ T ] He never paid me back, so basically he ended up stealing a hundred dollars from me.
8
To steal is also to do something quickly while trying not to be seen doing it:

Examples:

[ I always + adv/prep ] to steal out of a room
[ T ] She stole a glance at her watch.
9
something obtained at a much lower price than its true value:

Examples:

At half the original price, that designer dress is a steal.
10
to take something without the permission of its owner:

Examples:

The number of cars which are stolen every year has risen.
steal (sth) from sb She admitted stealing the money from her employers.
11
to get an advantage over someone by acting before they do:

Examples:

Our chief competitor managed to steal a march on us by bringing out their software ahead of ours.
12
a product that has a very low price, or a price that is much lower than the original cost:

Examples:

The shares may be a steal, but investors should remain wary.
Their financial commitment for the land will be around $600,000, which Peter considers a steal.

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