1 C1 formal
To enter a place quietly and secretly without being noticed
"She stole in through the back door so as not to wake her parents."
“
"He stole in softly, feeling himself a transgressor."
— Charles Dickens, 'Dombey and Son', 1848
steal in
C1 formal intransitive
To enter a place quietly and secretly, without being seen or heard
In plain English
To quietly creep into a place so no one notices you
What does "steal in" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 C1 idiomatic formal
To gradually or imperceptibly enter a situation or person's awareness (literary)
"A sense of dread stole in as she read the final pages of the letter."
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To steal (move stealthily) into a place
Actually means
To quietly creep into a place so no one notices you
Usage tip
Literary and somewhat old-fashioned in everyday speech. More commonly found in narrative prose and poetry than in conversation. The same metaphor as 'steal away' — moving like a thief, without being detected.
Words that pair with "steal in"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
quietly room house night darkness unnoticed morning
How to conjugate "steal in"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
steal in
I/you/we/they
3rd person
steals in
he/she/it
Past simple
stealed in
yesterday
Past participle
stealed in
have + pp
-ing form
stealing in
continuous
Hear "steal in" in the wild
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