purloin
Make off with
Purloin means to steal, but with a literary or humorous tinge that makes it feel less serious than outright theft.
The word suits small-scale pilfering rather than grand larceny: Someone purloined my sandwich from the office fridge.
It appears in Poe's famous story "The Purloined Letter," where a stolen document drives the plot.
Sneak off with trifles
- filchPetty theft
- swipeQuick sliding motion
- liftMechanism for vertical transport
- pinchSqueeze with fingertips
pocket · snatch · nab · abstract · misappropriate · embezzle · peculate · shoplift
Secretive and sly
- surreptitiousDone secretly, avoiding detection
- covertIntentionally concealed
- clandestineConcealed from authorities
- stealthySecretly cautious in movement
sneaky · underhanded · discreet · secretive · undetected · unseen · veiled · hidden
Flee to avoid capture
- abstractCondensed version of text
- light-fingeredGiven to petty theft
- legerdemainSkillful hand-based deception
- filcherOne who steals
Unlawful taking of goods
- theftUnlawful taking of property
- burglaryIllegal entry to commit crime
- robberyTheft through intimidation
- pilferageMinor theft of goods
embezzlement · shoplifting · pickpocketing · kleptomania · heist · fraud · peculation · defalcation
pilfer
Sneak off with trifles
pinch · pocket · snatch · nab · abstract · misappropriate · embezzle · peculate · shoplift · pickpocket
furtive
Secretive and sly
- surreptitiousDone secretly, avoiding detection
- covertIntentionally concealed
- clandestineConcealed from authorities
stealthy · sneaky · underhanded · discreet · secretive · undetected · unseen · veiled · hidden · undercover
abscond
Flee to avoid capture
- abstractCondensed version of text
- light-fingeredGiven to petty theft
- legerdemainSkillful hand-based deception
larceny
Unlawful taking of goods
- theftUnlawful taking of property
- burglaryIllegal entry to commit crime
- robberyTheft through intimidation
pilferage · embezzlement · shoplifting · pickpocketing · kleptomania · heist · fraud · peculation · defalcation · piracy
swindle
Deception for financial gain
extort · blackmail · poach · plagiarize · pirate · wangle · cadge · bilk · fleece · dupe