Why were delayed-notice searches called sneak-and-peek searches?

The term "sneak-and-peek" is a colloquialism used to describe the delayed-notice search warrants authorized under the USA PATRIOT Act.

These searches are characterized by the government's ability to execute a search warrant without immediately notifying the property owner. Because law enforcement officers enter a premises secretly to conduct a search and then delay notifying the occupant until a later time, the process was dubbed "sneak-and-peek" by critics and the media. This phrasing draws on the common definition of a "sneak peek"—a secret or premature look at something—to highlight the clandestine nature of the government's entry and inspection of private property without the owner's knowledge or presence.