1 C1 informal
(Dialectal, northern England) To fasten or close a door or gate with a latch.
"Make sure you sneck up the garden gate when you come in."
inseparable
sneck up
C1 informal inseparable transitive/intransitive
A regional British dialectal expression meaning to fasten a latch, or (as an exclamation) to be quiet.
In plain English
In old northern English dialect: either to close a door latch, or to tell someone to shut up.
What does "sneck up" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 C1 idiomatic informal
(Dialectal, archaic) Used as a rude exclamation meaning 'be quiet' or 'shut up.'
"The old farmer turned and growled, 'Sneck up, the lot of you!' before walking away."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To sneck (latch or fasten) while closing something up — 'sneck' is a northern English word for a door latch.
Actually means
In old northern English dialect: either to close a door latch, or to tell someone to shut up.
Usage tip
Highly dialectal; primarily found in northern England (Yorkshire, Lancashire). Archaic and rarely encountered outside regional literature or dialect writing. 'Sneck' refers to a door latch. ESL learners are unlikely to encounter this in everyday speech.
Words that pair with "sneck up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
door latch gate
How to conjugate "sneck up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
sneck up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
snecks up
he/she/it
Past simple
snecked up
yesterday
Past participle
snecked up
have + pp
-ing form
snecking up
continuous
Hear "sneck up" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "sneck up" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "sneck up"
Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.
Keep exploring
Jump to every phrasal verb built on the same verb, particle, or level.