like a thief in the night

like a thief in the night

In a swift and secretive, stealthy, or surreptitious manner. The cancer spread through my lungs and into my bones like a thief in the night, giving me no chance of beating it.

See also: like, night, thief

thief in the night

A person or thing that moves in a swift and secretive, stealthy, or surreptitious manner. The cancer spread through my lungs and into my bones like a thief in the night, giving me no chance of beating it.

See also: night, thief

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

like a ˌthief in the ˈnight

secretly or unexpectedly: In the end I left like a thief in the night, without telling anybody or saying goodbye.

See also: like, night, thief

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017