to sneak away
17
3.6
- phrasal verb
- /sniːk əˈweɪ/
- Informal
:
escabullirse
- Just after 9:00 p.m., Section Chief Delta sneaked away from his shredding and dialed the number.
- try to sneak away
- managed to sneak away
- sneak away quietly
He and his mates, they sneaked away to Chechnya to try and fight.
- He and his mates, they sneaked away to Chechnya to try and fight.
Examples
-
My family and I decided to sneak away for a rest, somewhere far away from everything.
Fiction book (1999) -
Sometimes I think I have these parties just so I can sneak away and hide.
-
When they reach their next port, three of the men sneak away in the night.
Fiction book (2001) -
I managed to sneak away from my husband for the afternoon.
Fiction book (1999) -
I'm really glad that you were able to sneak away again.
-
All you did was sneak away from the cabin to be with the boys!
-
Grace believed that Dan had used the travel trailer to sneak away with another woman.
Fiction book (2002) -
Raymond, why don't we just sneak away for a few minutes, sit down somewhere quietly and have a drink?
-
After years of separation, ex-lovers Lily and Richard sneak away to a secluded love shack to make up for lost time.
Fiction book (2000) -
The children decided to sneak away from the playground to explore the nearby woods.
Synonyms
550
1.6
To leave secretly and quickly to get away from danger or control
193
4.3
Move quietly so people do not see or hear you
147
3.7
To leave a place quickly and secretly to avoid trouble
125
3.7
To leave a place quietly so no one notices you
39
3.8
To leave a place quietly without anyone noticing
33
4.0
Leave a place quietly so others do not notice
32
3.4
To leave a place quietly without anyone noticing
28
8.1
Leave a place suddenly and secretly to avoid trouble or debt
16
6.7
To move quietly and carefully to avoid being seen
12
7.2
To leave a place quickly and quietly to avoid something you should do
11
8.5
To leave quickly and secretly with money or things to avoid being caught
9
6.9
To get away from someone who is following you
4
6.3
To leave a meeting or party quietly so no one notices
4
8.5
To leave a place quickly and secretly to avoid being caught
1
7.7
To move quietly to the side and away so people do not notice you
To leave work or school suddenly to have secret fun instead of doing duties
To leave a place quickly and secretly, often taking things or someone
Antonyms
How Secretly
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to leave a place quietly and secretly' is directly derivable from combining 'sneak' (to move without being noticed) with 'away' (to another location); together they clearly indicate a quiet exit. This is a common compositional motion/particle pattern in English (and appears similarly in many languages), so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
The phrasal verb sneak away comes from the image of someone moving quietly like a cat to leave a room; sneak shows the quiet movement and away shows going off somewhere else. That's why it means 'to leave a place quietly and secretly'.