Sneak vs Tiptoe - What's the difference?
sneak | tiptoe |
One who sneaks; one who moves stealthily to acquire an item or information.
A cheat; a con artist; a trickster
An informer; a tell-tale.
(obsolete, cricket) A ball bowled so as to roll along the ground; a daisy-cutter
To creep or go stealthily; to come or go while trying to avoid detection, as a person who does not wish to be seen.
To take something stealthily without permission.
(dated) To hide, especially in a mean or cowardly manner.
* Wake
(informal, especially with on) To inform an authority about another's misdemeanours; to tell tales; to grass.
In advance; before release to the general public.
In a stealthy or surreptitious manner.
Standing elevated, on or as if on the tips of one's toes.
* Shakespeare
* Byron
Moving carefully, quietly, warily or stealthily, on or as if on the tips of one's toes.
* Cowper
To walk quietly with only the tips of the toes touching the ground.
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As nouns the difference between sneak and tiptoe
is that sneak is one who sneaks; one who moves stealthily to acquire an item or information while tiptoe is the tips of one's toes collectively.As verbs the difference between sneak and tiptoe
is that sneak is to creep or go stealthily; to come or go while trying to avoid detection, as a person who does not wish to be seen while tiptoe is to walk quietly with only the tips of the toes touching the ground.As adjectives the difference between sneak and tiptoe
is that sneak is in advance; before release to the general public while tiptoe is standing elevated, on or as if on the tips of one's toes.sneak
English
Noun
(en noun)- My little brother is such a sneak - yesterday I caught him trying to look through my diary.
- I can't believe I gave that sneak $50 for a ticket when they were selling for $20 at the front gate.
Verb
- He decided to sneak into the kitchen for a second cookie while his mom was on the phone.
- I went to sneak a chocolate but my dad caught me.
- [Slander] sneaks its head.
- If you sneak on me I'll bash you!
Usage notes
* The past and past participle snuck'' is primarily found in North American English, where it originated in the late 19th century as a dialectal form. It is still regarded as informal by some, but its use appears to be increasing in frequency and acceptability. It is occasionally found in British and Australian/Hiberno-English, too, though regarded as an American form. (SeeOxford Dictionaries, ''The Cambridge Guide to English Usage'', ''Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary'', ''Webster's New World College Dictionary .) * To sneak'' (take) something is not the same as to ''steal'' something. In this sense, ''sneak'' typically implies trying to avoid a supervisor's or guardian's mild displeasure or mild discipline, while ''steal indicates a more serious action and often the person stealing does not know the owner of the item being stolen.
Derived terms
* sneaker * sneaky * sneakily * sneakiness * sneak peek * sneak preview * sneak thief * sneak away * sneak in * sneak off * sneak out * sneak up/sneak up on * sneak aroundAdjective
(-)- The company gave us a sneak look at their new electronic devices.
- I was able to get a sneak peek at the guest list.
Derived terms
* sneak peek * sneak previewAnagrams
* * English irregular verbstiptoe
English
(wikipedia tiptoe)Alternative forms
* tip-toe * tippytoe, tippy-toeDerived terms
* on tiptoeAdjective
(-)- Night's candles are burnt out, and jocund day / Stands tiptoe on the misty mountain tops.
- above the tiptoe pinnacle of glory
- with tiptoe step
Verb
(d)Mr. Pratt's Patients, passage=We tiptoed into the house, up the stairs and along the hall into the room where the Professor had been spending so much of his time.}}
