ROB - BURGLE - STEAL: meaning and use
(to take something illegally)

 
• ROB vs STEAL:
  
  
  • You rob a person or place. 'Rob' points out the person or place who is stolen from.
  • You steal something that does not belong to you.
    
    
  A robber or thief :
  
  • - robs a place (for example, a bank), or a person, of something.
    - steals something from a place or person.
    
    Examples :
    • A bank robbery took place this morning.
    • A gang of armed robbers forced their way into the bank.
      
      
    • The thieves robbed the bank.
    • The bank was robbed of a large amount of money.
    • The gang stole a large amount of money from the bank.
      
      
    • The thieves also robbed the customers of their wallets.
    • The robbers stole their wallets from the customers.
    • The customers' wallets were stolen by the robbers/thieves.
      
      
• BURGLE:
  Someone burgles a house/apartment/building by breaking into it.
  A house/apartment/building is burgled.
  
  
  • A burglar is a person who burgles a house or building  by forcing a way into it and stealing from it.
    
    Example :
    • During a recent concert, a number of houses in the area were burgled.
    • The burglar stole essentially jewellery, cash, credit cards and mobile phones.
    • He was caught by the police while trying to steal a car.
      
      
• N.B. 'Thief' is a noun referring to someone who steals, but the verb 'to thieve' is rarely used.
  It is more usual to say 'to steal' something, or 'to rob' someone (of something).

More Examples: