snoop

To secretly look for information about someone's private life or belongings.

• Stop snooping in my room.
• She snooped through his phone while he slept.
• Were you snooping on your neighbours again?

How to use it: snoop on someone (My neighbour keeps snooping on us.); snoop through something (He snooped through her private letters.)

Similar words: pry, spy, nose around

Common phrases: snoop around, snoop on someone, snoop through something

To move or behave in a sneaky way so that nobody notices you.

• He snooped past the guards unseen.
• They snooped around in the dark to avoid being noticed.
• She snooped through the corridor, keeping close to the shadows.

Similar words: sneak, skulk

Common phrases: snoop around, snoop past someone

Someone who secretly tries to find out about other people's private lives or belongings.

• Our neighbour is a snoop.
• Don't let that snoop near your private papers.
• The office snoops soon discovered who was leaving.

Similar words: busybody, prying person

Common phrases: a nosy snoop, a little snoop, an office snoop

An occasion when you secretly look around or examine someone's private things.

• I had a quick snoop around.
• A snoop through his drawers revealed the missing keys.
• She went for a snoop while everyone was outside.

Similar words: look around, nose around

Common phrases: have a snoop, a quick snoop, a snoop around

A person paid to secretly investigate people or events.

• She hired a snoop.
• The snoop followed her husband for three days.
• Two private snoops gathered evidence for the client.

Similar words: private detective, private investigator

Common phrases: hire a snoop, a private snoop, a professional snoop