steal away

English

Verb

steal away (third-person singular simple present steals away, present participle stealing away, simple past stole away, past participle stolen away)

1. (intransitive) To leave secretively.
   • 1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, Canto XXI, page 36:

     ⁠I do but sing because I must,
     And pipe but as the linnets sing:
     And unto one her note is gay,
     ⁠For now her little ones have ranged;
     ⁠And unto one her note is changed,
     Because her brood is stol’n away.

   • 1964, Jimmy Hughes (lyrics and music), “Steal Away”:

     I know it's late, whoa I can't wait / So come on and steal away / Please, steal away

Translations

leave secretively

• Bulgarian: измъквам се незабелязано (izmǎkvam se nezabeljazano)
• German: (sich) davonschleichen, (sich) wegschleichen, sich davonstehlen
• Irish: éalaigh