sneak in
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sneak in
1. To enter (some place) in a quiet, sneaky, inconspicuous, or furtive manner, so as not to be detected. The burglar snuck in without making a sound. Marty got caught sneaking in to the house way past his curfew.
2. To transport someone or something in (to something or some place) in a surreptitious, deceitful, or stealthy manner, especially when it is illegal or forbidden to do so. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "sneak" and "in." My cousin tried to sneak me in to the club, even though I was only 18 years old. They were thrown out of the school dance for sneaking in bottles of alcohol.
3. To insert or include using sly, subtle, or surreptitious means something that is normally forbidden, unwanted, or frowned upon. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "sneak" and "in." The show's writers always try to sneak jokes in that would normally get rejected by the network censors. When I was writing my midterm paper, I managed to sneak in a quotation from a video game. I have to sneak vegetables in to my kids' meals, or else they simply won't eat them.
See also: sneak
sneak in(to some place)
To enter some place in a quiet, sneaky, inconspicuous, or furtive manner. The burglar snuck in without making a sound. Marty came sneaking into the classroom, late as usual.
See also: sneak
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
sneak in(to some place)
to enter a place quietly and in secret, perhaps without a ticket or permission. The kids tried to sneak into the rock concert, but they were stopped by the guards. Never try to sneak in. Sometimes they arrest you for trespassing.
See also: sneak
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.