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“Steal” or “Steel” or “Stele”

steal / steel / stele are similar-sounding terms with different meanings (referred to as homophones). To better understand the differences, see below for definitions, pronunciation guides, and example sentences using each term.

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Definitions

What each term means

Same sound, different spellings and meanings, shown with a pronunciation guide for each term.

steal s·t·IY·l

  • nouna stolen base; an instance in which a base runner advances safely during the delivery of a pitch (without the help of a hit or walk or passed ball or wild pitch).
  • verbtake without the owner's consent.
  • verbmove stealthily.
  • verbsteal a base.

steel s·t·IY·l

  • nounan alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon; widely used in construction; mechanical properties can be varied over a wide range.
  • nounknife sharpener consisting of a ridged steel rod.
  • verbget ready for something difficult or unpleasant.
  • verbcover, plate, or edge with steel.

stele

  • nounthe usually cylindrical central vascular portion of the axis of a vascular plant.
  • nounan ancient upright stone slab bearing markings.
Usage

Examples in context

Real sentences for each spelling. Hover an example to copy it.

“steal”

  • …warn potential plagiarists not to steal content.
  • …Metallikats turn on Pastmaster and steal his watch.
  • …Space Squad while attempting to steal the Rashinban Kyutama, she is…
  • …enough distraction for Dana to steal the bomb control key and…
  • …her mentor Tsurukiku captive to steal the four Neo Kyutama being…
  • …later appearing on Len's hit "Steal My Sunshine".
  • …police cruiser and attempts to steal a shotgun but is caught…
  • We'd fake a steal home and rattle the pitcher…
  • He encouraged them to steal from non-Muslims in order to…
  • …podiums can buzz in and steal control.

“steel”

  • …from a ship using a steel cable.
  • …facility abroad by the International Steel and Metal Corporation.
  • …of over 180 tons of steel and cost over $1 million.
  • …created from of concrete and steel, and stood high and long.
  • …wellhead by using ram-types employing steel cut off rams to seal…
  • …of two fingers in a steel factory.
  • …Gilbert "The Erector / Structural Steel & Electro-Mechanical Builder".
  • Steel gets airsick and ends up…
  • …strong fabric stretched over a steel frame using many coiled springs…
  • Steel was later dropped by season

“stele”

  • …the Maronites unearthed a funerary stele etched with an epitaph to…
  • …the original temple is a stele which was built and inscribed…
  • …and the government built a stele announcing the claim at the…
  • A stele, in the church Saint-Augustine, reminds…

Examples are Wikipedia snippets under the CC ShareAlike 3.0 license. Definitions are drawn from WordNet.

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