Sneak (verb)

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The verb 'to sneak', meaning 'to move surreptitiously [either transitively or intransitively]', 'to behave furtively' or 'to gain an unfair advantage', has been a regular verb since the Middle English period. Schoolchildren often use it to mean 'to tell tales', or, in more adult slang, 'to grass'. The past forms in formal academic English are sneaked.

In the middle of the nineteenth century, a new form of the past tense arose in the United States, 'snuck'. This is now a widely accepted form, but such authorities as The New Oxford American Dictionary, The Cambridge Guide to English Usage and the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary all suggest that 'snuck' is not yet acceptable in formal academic English. Along with them,
AWE recommends students not to use 'snuck' in academic writing.