to sneak off
33
4.0
- phrasal verb
- /sniːk ɔf/
- Informal
:
escabullirse
- You kiss the children good-bye, scribble a quick note, and then sneak off into the night.
- try to sneak off
- going to sneak off
- sneak off to the bathroom
Like we're at a club and we find a place to sneak off.
- Like we're at a club and we find a place to sneak off.
Examples
-
After dinner, she decided to sneak off to her room without anyone noticing.
-
Caleb tried to sneak off and get in the cab, but Miss Potts spied him and beckoned him over.
Fiction book (1993) -
You know, over there, he was always sneaking off by himself.
-
Where you sneaking off to?
-
If he sneaks off the base, his life as he knows it is over.
Fiction book (1995) -
Sam did not sneak off in the night to Stanford, leaving John unaware.
Blog text (29) -
For weeks, he tried to catch Willie and Sam sneaking off to their other homes.
Fiction book (1996) -
You've been sneaking off to see her for months.
-
He snuck off right before Gary showed up.
-
Remember when you were a kid and you snuck off to the mainland and blew all your gas money on cigarettes and beer?
Synonyms
699
2.8
To move or take something quietly so others do not notice
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
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
17
3.6
To leave a place quietly without being noticed
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
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
4
9.9
To leave a place suddenly without telling anyone to avoid trouble
1
9.1
To leave a place quietly or suddenly without telling others
1
7.7
To move quietly to the side and away so people do not notice you
1
7.9
To leave a place quickly, often without saying goodbye
1
7.9
Leave a place or conversation quietly to avoid attention
To leave quickly and quietly or tell someone rudely to go away
To leave work or school suddenly to have secret fun instead of doing duties
To leave quickly to avoid trouble or attention
To leave a place quickly and secretly, often taking things or someone
Antonyms
How Secretly
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to leave quietly and secretly' is directly and predictably built from 'sneak' (to move without being noticed) plus the directional particle 'off' (away), following a common motion verb + particle pattern. This compositional structure is cross-linguistically common and thus a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
Sneak off paints a clear picture: someone sneaks away like a cat or a quiet thief and slips off through a door so others do not notice. That's why sneak off means 'to leave quietly and secretly'.