Steal, Rob, Burgle, Mug, Shoplift What’s the difference? They’re all types of stealing, but the situation changes. Steal = take something that isn’t yours. “Someone stole my phone.” Rob = steal from a person or place, often with threat or violence. “He robbed a bank.” “She was robbed on the train.” Burgle (UK) / Burglarize (US) = enter a building to steal. “They burgled the house while we were on holiday.” Mug = attack someone in public to steal. “He was mugged outside the station.” Shoplift = s