snoop

[snuːp]

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A snoop is someone who snoops around, which means they secretly look or listen for information that's not meant for them.

When people say "I don't want to be a snoop," it usually means they're talking about being nosy and prying into others' business. They might also use the word in relation to something suspicious going on – like if someone is snooping around the house at night, you could guess that something's up.

How common is "snoop"?

Word snoop is considered rare in modern English.
It has a balanced usage among all categories: speech, fiction, newspapers and academic texts.

Definitions

noun

The act of snooping
One who snoops
Example: Be careful what you say around Gene because he's the bosses' snoop.
A private detective
Example: She hired a snoop to find out if her husband was having an affair.

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verb

To be devious and cunning so as not to be seen.
To secretly spy on or investigate, especially into the private personal life of others.
Example: If I had not snooped on her, I wouldn't have found out that she lied about her degree.

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Real examples of "snoop" in context

Zootopia 2 | Final Trailer

Trailers

We check the perimeter, snoop a little, we find nothing, we bail.

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