committed stealing

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "committed stealing" is not correct in standard written English.
The correct expression would typically be "committed theft" or "committed a theft." Example: "He was arrested after he committed stealing from the local store."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Wiki

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

But as a young man Freeman was sent to prison on flimsy evidence for a crime he swore he never committed, stealing a horse.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

After saying that Colonel Williams "will forever be remembered as a sadosexual serial killer," Justice Robert F. Scott sentenced him to the two life sentences in the murders of two women, two 10-year sentences for sexual assaults and one-year sentences for each of the 82 break-ins he committed to steal underwear from girls and women to satisfy himself sexually.

The New York Times

Prosecutors rejected the defence case and convinced the jury that the murder was committed to "steal money and belongings and run off to California".

Wikipedia

Mr. Creedon, known as Joey Guns, admitted lying to the police, fighting, using drugs, damaging property, committing burglaries, extorting money, stealing, committing assault with a weapon, raping a minor, being shot twice and being offered $10,000 to "whack" someone.

The New York Times

Russian officials often spout anti-migrant rhetoric, especially around election time, and many ethnic Slavs see the newcomers as likely to commit crimes, steal jobs or flout local mores.

The Economist

The second table concerns our obligations to other human beings, and all of the commands are negative (do not kill, commit adultery, steal, lie, or covet) except for the first, which tells us to honor our fathers and mothers.

SEP

How might the world be different if, as members of the Christian community, we treated everyone as social equals such that we did not kill, commit adultery, steal, bear false witness, or covet that which another has (Exodus 20 13-17)?

Huffington Post

They committed widespread perjury, stole and dealt in illegal drugs.

The New York Times

Darren Dopp, a spokesman for Mr. Spitzer, said: "Let him take the side of people who committed fraud and stole millions from investors.

The New York Times

He has murdered, stolen, committed adultery, coveted other men's wives, borne false witness and taken the Lord's name in vain.

The New York Times

Amine Mezbar, also known as Adel Tobbichi, has lived on and off in Montreal since April 2000 and was arrested last week on charges of conspiracy to commit murder and stealing and falsifying passports.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Prefer using "committed theft" or "committed a theft" instead of "committed stealing" for grammatical correctness and clarity.

Common error

Avoid using the gerund form ("stealing") directly after "committed". Always use the noun form ("theft") or add an article ("a theft") for proper grammar.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "committed stealing" attempts to describe the action of performing or being responsible for an act of theft. However, it is grammatically flawed. Ludwig AI indicates that "committed stealing" is not correct in standard written English.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Wiki

30%

Science

30%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "committed stealing" is generally considered grammatically incorrect in standard English. The preferred alternatives are "committed theft" or "committed a theft". As Ludwig AI specifies, the expression is not right for professional usage and should be avoided. While the phrase appears in some news and media sources, it is infrequent and doesn't hold the authority of other grammatically sound options. When referring to the act of theft, prioritize using "committed theft" to ensure clarity and grammatical accuracy.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

committed theft

Replaces the gerund "stealing" with the noun "theft", resulting in grammatically correct phrasing.

perpetrated stealing

Uses a more formal verb, "perpetrated", while retaining the less preferred gerund form of "stealing".

engaged in stealing

Employs a phrasal verb, "engaged in", which is a more verbose but acceptable alternative.

carried out stealing

Similar to "engaged in stealing", it substitutes "committed" with another phrasal verb with similar meaning.

was stealing

Uses the past continuous tense, focusing on the act of stealing in progress.

did steal

Uses the auxiliary verb "did" for emphasis on the act of stealing.

participated in stealing

Implies involvement or contribution to the act of stealing.

undertook stealing

Replaces "committed" with "undertook", suggesting a deliberate and perhaps planned act of stealing.

was involved in stealing

Focuses on the subject's involvement in the act of stealing, rather than directly committing it.

performed stealing

Uses "performed" to describe the act of stealing, which is less common and slightly unusual.

FAQs

What's the correct way to say someone performed an act of theft?

The correct way to express that someone performed an act of theft is to say they "committed theft" or "committed a theft". The phrasing "committed stealing" is grammatically incorrect.

Is there a difference between "committed theft" and "committed stealing"?

Yes, while both phrases relate to the act of theft, "committed theft" is grammatically correct, and "committed stealing" is generally considered incorrect. Use "committed theft" in formal writing.

What are some alternatives to "committed stealing"?

Alternatives include "committed theft", "perpetrated theft", or "engaged in stealing". The best choice depends on the specific context and desired level of formality.

How to properly use "commit" when referring to theft?

When using "commit" in the context of theft, it should be followed by a noun. For example, "commit a crime", "commit theft", or "commit a robbery" are all grammatically sound.