skulks 1 of 2

noun

plural of skulk
as in sneaks
someone who acts in a sly and secret manner were surprised to discover the skulk stealing from the garden was a raccoon

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skulks

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of skulk
1
as in lurks
to move about in a sly or secret manner I thought I saw someone skulking about in the shadows

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in hides
to remain out of sight the animal control officers caught the stray cat that had been skulking behind some trash cans

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of skulks
Noun
Frank discovers Lee’s meddling and skulks into Arthur’s apartment and murders him. — Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2025 Despite a restraining order against her, Lisa skulks around the twins’ school at drop-off and stalks them in the grocery store. — Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
With Irene threatening Billie, Joe skulks back to his cement cell, but hears Irene torturing Billie in the next room. — Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skulks
  1. sneaks
  2. lurks
  3. hides
  4. skunks
  5. lies
  6. sneakers
  7. lurkers
  8. snakes
Noun
  • Available in several pastel hues and patterns, these high-vamp canvas sneaks look ultracomfy and flattering.
    — Cheryl Wagemann, InStyle, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Sinatra and Dean Martin croon softly on the speakers (until the occasional Charli xcx track sneaks in).
    — Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of sneaks
Verb
  • What lurks over the next ridge or the next nightfall is anyone’s guess.
    — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The Spurs superstar lurks down low near the basket, allowing guards to pressure aggressively on the perimeter.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of lurks
Verb
  • While the fabric is satin, the black color hides stains effortlessly.
    — Anna Traver, InStyle, 25 Oct. 2026
  • The malicious software hides inside the phone's firmware, giving attackers powerful access that ordinary apps never receive.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of hides
Noun
  • Officials say the last animal confirmed to have rabies that wasn’t a bat was a skunk infected with the bat strain of rabies in Long Beach in 2014.
    — Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
  • And coyotes regulate populations of mesocarnivores like skunks and raccoons, helping support the survival of ground-nesting birds.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of skunks
Verb
  • South Korean officials have said North Korea's recent border activities have highlighted the Koreas' disagreement over exactly where the military demarcation line lies.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
  • To be fair, the fault here lies equally with the scripts, which dump information without first creating suspense.
    — Alison Herman, Variety, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of lies
Noun
  • That person and others described Shelton as wearing a brown dress and purple sneakers.
    — Michael Butler, Miami Herald, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The material is lightweight, flexible and is often cut into large panels to cover the uppers or vamps of pumps, sneakers and dress shoes.
    — Amina Ayoud, Footwear News, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of sneakers
Noun
  • There are leaders, lurkers, peacekeepers, instigators, and the person who only surfaces to drop an occasional thumbs-up.
    — Sam Reed, Glamour, 18 May 2026
  • The Cubs and Padres are well clear of any lurkers for the top two spots, but the Mets have the last ticket in for now, with San Francisco, Arizona and Cincinnati all within 2 1/2 games of them.
    — Chris Branch, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
Definition of lurkers
Noun
  • Ingratitude is indeed sharper than a serpent’s tooth, and McBride isn’t wrong, but since when has Hollywood not been a pit of snakes?
    — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
  • To do this, the team of researchers used fossils and knowledge of mosasaurs' most recent living relatives – snakes and lizards like the komodo dragon – to recreate the hunting behavior of mosasaurs.
    — October 16, NPR, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of snakes

Browse Nearby Words

skulking
skulks
skull
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Cite this Entry

“Skulks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skulks. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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