as in to steal
to take (something) without right and with an intent to keep
too hungry to wait until the party had started, he filched a cookie from the buffet table when no one was looking
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Recent Examples of filch
When the merch sold out, some took to filching from the tables: glassware, salt and pepper shakers, and even utensils.
—
Suhauna Hussain, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2026
For a time, Louise ran an outfit of bookies from her room; Mae taught Burnett to filch toilet paper from a local luncheonette.
—Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
The plot about an attempt to filch a special gobstopper is, of course, lifted directly from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971), in which another candy maker named Slugworth seeks to undercut his competition.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 29 Feb. 2024
The mental toughness of Walther’s girls was the difference in the end as the Eagles never filched.
—Timothy Dashiell, Baltimore Sun, 1 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for filch
Suhauna Hussain, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2026
For a time, Louise ran an outfit of bookies from her room; Mae taught Burnett to filch toilet paper from a local luncheonette.
—Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
The plot about an attempt to filch a special gobstopper is, of course, lifted directly from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971), in which another candy maker named Slugworth seeks to undercut his competition.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 29 Feb. 2024
The mental toughness of Walther’s girls was the difference in the end as the Eagles never filched.
—Timothy Dashiell, Baltimore Sun, 1 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for filch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for filch
steal
Verb
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Bahia is also where breakfast is served each morning—watch out for the cheeky birds who will steal any of your unattended banana pancakes or breakfast burritos.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 May 2026
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The animatronic creation adorably stole the spotlight from the Mandalorian himself, Pedro Pascal, as well as other human collaborators like Sigourney Weaver (Colonel Ward) and director Jon Favreau (who managed to score a red carpet photo opportunity with the rising lime-green superstar).—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
16 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Filch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/filch. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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