Both mean 'to steal', but one targets the person or place, the other targets the item.
"Rob" takes the victim or place as its direct object. "They robbed the bank" = they committed robbery at the bank. "He was robbed" = someone stole from him. Not used with the stolen item.
The criminals robbed the bank.
She was robbed on her way home.
They robbed him of his wallet and phone.
"Steal" takes the stolen item as its direct object. "They stole his wallet" = they took his wallet. "Steal from someone" = rob a person. The thing taken is the direct object.
Someone stole my bicycle!
He stole a car from the parking lot.
The thief stole jewelry worth thousands.
Common mistake
Trick to remember it
Quick rule
Is the direct object a person or place? "Rob." Is the direct object the item taken? "Steal."
Did you know?
The expression "rob Peter to pay Paul" has nothing to do with actual theft. It is an idiom meaning to solve one problem by creating another, usually in the context of debts: to pay one creditor, you borrow from another. It dates from the fourteenth century and refers to the apostles Peter and Paul. It is a classic idiom in personal and business finance. And a linguistic note: ROBBERS and THIEVES are distinct in English. A THIEF can act in secret and without violence. A ROBBER generally uses force or threat.
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
Someone _____ d my phone on the bus. I didn't notice until I got home.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
Three men with masks _____ the bank in broad daylight.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
"Above" is at a higher level without contact; "over" implies covering, movement, or crossing.
"Actually" corrects or contrasts an assumption; "really" intensifies or confirms.
'Currently' means 'at the present time'; 'actually' means 'in reality', not 'nowadays'.
'Adopt' means to take something on as your own; 'adapt' means to adjust to something new.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy