rob, steal

Rob and steal once were exact synonyms but in modern usage they differ. A thief will rob a place or person (of objects), but steal objects (from a place or person). The verb rob is often followed by a phrase beginning with the preposition of, while steal may be followed by one starting with from. Sometimes the phrase starting with of or from is omitted or understood.

• A mugger robbed me in the park. He stole my wallet.
• They claimed they were robbed of their self-respect and their sense of identity.
• The thief stole a laptop from the store.
• The thief stole a laptop.

A number of fixed expressions using the verbs rob or steal are not interchangeable:

rob Peter to pay Paul (take something from someone to pay someone else)
rob someone blind (take everything a person owns)
steal a base (advance one base in baseball through stealth or good luck)
steal a glance (take a secret, quick look)
steal a kiss (kiss someone while nobody is looking)
steal a march on (do something before someone else to gain an advantage)
steal away (leave quietly without being seen)
steal over (gradually fill or cover something or someone)
steal someone’s thunder (use someone else’s ideas or say something first)
steal the show (outdo other performers, sometimes unexpectedly)
steal up on (advance on someone quietly and unseen)