steal

UK:*UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈstiːl/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/stil/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(stēl)

Inflections of 'steal' (v): (⇒ conjugate)
steals
v 3rd person singular
stealing
v pres p
stole
v past
stolen
v past p
WordReference Collins English Usage © 2026
steal
When someone steals something, they take it without permission and without intending to return it.
He tried to steal a car from the car park.
She was accused of stealing a necklace.
The past tense of steal is stole. The -ed participle is stolen.
Armed raiders stole millions of dollars.
My phone was stolen from my bag.
Be careful
When you are speaking about the object that has been stolen, use steal or take. When the object of the verb is a person or a building, use rob.
I had stolen my father's money.
I know who took my watch.
They robbed him and took his laptop.
The gang were accused of robbing a bank.
'steal' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
rob - safe - thief

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