stealing 1 of 2

noun

as in robbery
the unlawful taking and carrying away of property without the consent of its owner in those days the stealing of a horse was a very serious crime

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stealing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of steal
1
as in swiping
to take (something) without right and with an intent to keep the guy who tried to steal my car was sentenced to a year in jail

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sneaking
to move about in a sly or secret manner the teenagers were able to steal past a security guard and enter the fairgrounds without paying admission

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of stealing
Noun
This kind of stealing of consensus is hardly new to American politics, true enough. — Scott Montgomery, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026 Economic circumstances also contribute to the rise of stealing and fraud. — Devika Rao, TheWeek, 3 Aug. 2026 Appearances by the unrelenting (and scene-stealing) Frank Castle, the vigilante known as the Punisher, also demand a more accountable hero. — Ken Makin, Christian Science Monitor, 3 Aug. 2026 Nathaniel Pearson of Raytown was charged Tuesday with first degree assault, armed criminal action and attempted stealing of a motor vehicle, the prosecutor’s office said in a Wednesday news release. — Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 29 July 2026 Like the first book of the trilogy, this one unfolds entirely in dialogue—only instead of giving us a narrator whose hat was stolen, this story is narrated by the fish who did the stealing. — Casey Cep, New Yorker, 7 July 2026 Luke Locklear, 29, of Lumberton, is charged with felony conspiracy, and altering/stealing/destroying criminal evidence by taking it from the home and burning it, a warrant says. — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 26 June 2026 Sale and Ventura engaged in a heated argument a few days later after Sale demanded Ventura call out the Tigers for the sign-stealing. — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 20 June 2026 That’s base stealing in the Pitch Clock Era. — Chad Jennings, New York Times, 21 May 2026
Verb
On a 3-2 count to Carson Benge, Bichette was caught stealing. — Cbs New York Team, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026 Just how easy such a crime is to commit came to light a year ago when a former Michigan football staffer was arrested and accused of stealing more than 3,000 images and videos of athletes. — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026 Unprovoked criticisms, accusations of stealing from the ailing parent and misguided health decisions often emerge from siblings and other family members. — Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026 Unfortunately, the West’s top two contenders, the Thunder and Spurs, keep stealing everybody else’s lunch. — Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 9 Aug. 2026 The lumberjacks had used their trucks to block access to the Quebec border in protest of Canadian loggers who were stealing their jobs by working for less. — ABC News, 8 Aug. 2026 Tucker said the camera was intended to record someone stealing from him, according to the statement. — Alexa Newsom, Kansas City Star, 8 Aug. 2026 The film revolves around a crew of motorcycle thieves who begin stealing priceless antiquities around the world. — Justin Kroll, Deadline, 3 Aug. 2026 The ticket Lockhart is accused of stealing had a prize value of $2,600, per the affidavit. — Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 1 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stealing
  1. robbery
  2. swiping
  3. sneaking
  4. theft
  5. robbing
  6. lurking
  7. pilfering
  8. slipping
Noun
  • Askew had been arrested five times, including twice for robbery and once for weapons possession.
    — Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Already Sabas’ children seem far less keen on what could be seen as robbery.
    — John Hopewell, Variety, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of robbery
Verb
  • People were swiping and navigating with their forefinger and their thumb.
    — Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026
  • From swiping your glass shower door to running a towel around your sink after washing the dishes, a short clean can prevent grime build-up and keep your surfaces spotless.
    — Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of swiping
Verb
  • The fact that each tally mark was a dollar in the band’s pocket, and that sneaking in was essentially stealing money from them, also didn’t faze us.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Acknowledge your child’s feelings, then follow through with your goodbye instead of sneaking away.
    — Ashley Lynch, Sacbee.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of sneaking
Noun
  • The Grass Valley City Council first approved the use of ALPRs with a 5-0 vote in 2021, believing in its ability to address violent crime and retail theft.
    — Lyanne Wang, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Hilliard faces felony charges of theft and embezzlement of public property, as well as a misdemeanor charge of first-degree official misconduct.
    — Matt Moret, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of theft
Verb
  • Amanda Hernandez, the wife of one of the men who posed as a DTE utility worker and was convicted of robbing and killing a Rochester Hills businessman in 2024, was sentenced on Wednesday for her role in the crime.
    — Alysia Burgio, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Thieves have long used a variety of methods — tapping into ducts, hijacking tanker trucks or robbing directly from facilities of Petroleos Mexicanos, the state energy company known as Pemex.
    — Foreign Correspondent, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of robbing
Verb
  • But for Mayor Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys), the local personalities pale in comparison to the evils lurking beneath the cursed island’s surface.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2026
  • The thinking was that app permissions are so granular that malware lurking on the device would have no ability to access the private keys that form the lynchpin of passkey security.
    — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of lurking
Verb
  • The frequency with which the Premier League’s richest are now pilfering the best players from fellow English clubs is no coincidence.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Prosecutors said Pildes defrauded attendees and small business owners alike, pilfering funds to pay for extensive renovations on a lakefront property in New Jersey, concert tickets, luxury getaways, Michelin star meals and a sports car.
    — Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 15 Apr. 2026
Definition of pilfering
Verb
  • The blockbuster pop release climbs on five of those six rankings, slipping only on the Official Albums Streaming tally.
    — Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • More drones and missiles are slipping through both sides’ fraying air defenses, meaning that the civilian death toll has increased, and more critical infrastructure is being damaged.
    — Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of slipping

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Stealing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stealing. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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