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sneak preview

sneak preview

11 3.7
An early showing of a film or product before its official release
  • noun
  • /sniːk ˈpriːvjuː/
translation icon : preestreno (cine/teatro)
  • Last night, we attended a special sneak preview of the new movie before its official release.
  • give us a sneak preview
  • get a sneak preview
  • want a sneak preview

And without further ado, here is a sneak preview of my first color lesson class on yellow.

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Examples

  • Here is a sneak preview of a couple of the pages from the new workbook.

    Blog text (29)
  • When Top Gun was released, I was a critic for The Boston Phoenix, and I remember seeing it at a sneak preview the Saturday night before it opened.

    Blog text (7)
  • I have gotten a sneak preview of her speech and you are going to love it.

  • My guy Red said he was giving me an exclusive sneak preview.

  • We got a sneak preview of the new season of Are You There, Chelsea?

    Blog text (30)
  • Let's take a sneak preview of what's coming up on the Big Sunday.

    Blog text (27)
  • This story is a sneak preview of a book about a very unusual vampire.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • We'll send you a monthly update with news, sneak previews, and other goodies.

    Blog text (32)
  • A sneak preview of Bomba the Jungle Boy was held on a warm, windy night late last year.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • Now here's a sneak preview of a video that we've created to mark our birthday and to celebrate some of the work that we've produced over those five years.

Synonyms

preview
vssneak preview
183 2.9

A short showing of a film or play before it opens

is a direct early showing for viewing rather than a promotion
sneak peek
vssneak preview
26 3.4

A quick first look at something not yet released

is a fuller advance showing rather than a brief early look
prescreening
vssneak preview
3.4

An advance showing of a movie or TV show to a small group

is for early showings available to the public rather than a limited audience

How Revealing

premiere
179 4.4
sneak preview
11 3.7
trailer
100 3.2
teaser
  • Literature
18 4.1

Surface Forms

sneak preview singular

Morphology

sneak + preview

The meaning 'an advance showing before official release' is directly derivable from combining 'sneak' (furtive/early/secret) with 'preview' (an advance showing). This adjective+noun composition is straightforward and common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would very likely infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Sneak preview comes from the picture of someone quietly (sneak) getting an early look (preview) at a show or product before others. So, it now means 'an advance showing before the official release'.