sneak in

sneak in (third-person singular simple present sneaks in, present participle sneaking in, simple past and past participle sneaked in or (informal, chiefly US) snuck in)

1. To enter without being noticed.

   I'm going to try to sneak in by the back door.

   • 2011 September 2, “Wales 2-1 Montenegro”, in BBC‎:

     Welsh nerves continued to jangle as Blake let a long ball bounce over his head and only Wayne Hennessey's swift advance from his line prevented Mirko Vucinic sneaking in.

2. To barely advance or be allowed entry in a competition or organization despite minimal credentials or competitors thought to be superior.

   With Newport's team suffering from injuries, Springfield was able to sneak in to the quarter-finals.

   Despite a mediocre grade in English, Pat just managed to sneak in to the university.

3. To take (something) in covertly, to smuggle.

   He had sneaked the alcohol in and was now handing it out to his friends.