sleeking

verb

present participle of sleek
as in smoothing

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sleeking
  1. smoothing
  2. slicking
  3. shining
  4. polishing
  5. rubbing
  6. glossing
  7. burnishing
  8. coating
Verb
  • At-home chemical peels can help maintain certain results by exfoliating dead skin cells, smoothing texture, and gradually fading lingering discoloration.
    — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Oils are best thought of as a strand treatment, smoothing the cuticle, cutting frizz and reducing breakage during brushing and styling.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of smoothing
Verb
  • Rather than slicking the head in hair gel, Magallones purposefully keeps the product use to a minimum, allowing for natural curls to come through on top of the head.
    — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Down the historic hall, hair artist Cyndia Harvey is busy wrapping low ponytails and slicking buns to support the vision.
    — Arden Fanning Andrews, Vogue, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of slicking
Verb
  • Charlotte’s dining scene is shining bright among the stars of the South once again.
    — Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 22 Oct. 2026
  • While Cowtown’s film industry is shining now thanks in part to Taylor Sheridan, the festival is proof that locals have been passionate about the art form for some time now.
    — Brayden Garcia October 22, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of shining
Verb
  • Almost all of them seemed empty, like houses closed for the season, but a handful had signs of life—crewmen at the railings, polishing the brightwork, as if getting ready to leave.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026
  • There may have been a time when hosting a holiday dinner meant pulling out every platter, polishing the silver, and making sure there were enough wine glasses for a small army.
    — Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of polishing
Verb
  • Oh, and a pad from an HTC Vive, because nobody wants the sharp edges of layered plastic extruded from a 3D printer rubbing against their face.
    — Tim Stevens, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Some of the more envelope-pushing moments, including an extended scene of nuns ripping off their habits and rubbing themselves on a life-sized crucifix, were in the script.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of rubbing
Verb
  • The easy-to-use glossing treatment, which should be applied to damp hair and followed by a blow dryer to activate the frizz-fighting alpha acids, is a semi-permanent smoothing spray that basically creates a water-resistant shield to prevent flyaways—even in the most humid of places.
    — Eva Thomas, InStyle, 9 Apr. 2026
  • Critchley, glossing Julian of Norwich, draws a distinction between seeing and seeing through creation, but this is a false dichotomy.
    — Christian Wiman, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Definition of glossing
Verb
  • China has also entered the fray, with more of an eye to burnishing its image rather than undermining local politics.
    — the Monitor's Editorial Board, Christian Science Monitor, 6 Oct. 2026
  • And at a moment when the US is antagonizing allies and has yet to find a way to end its war on Iran that’s destabilizing the global economy, Xi has been burnishing China’s image as a responsible and dependable global leader.
    — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of burnishing
Verb
  • Solgel ceramic coating Most nonstick pans use nontoxic coating from organic materials, producing a safe and convenient way to cook your food.
    — BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026
  • For Midnight Journey, a gown inspired by scratch-off lottery cards, Officina39 applied a leather coating to achieve the sisters’ vintage effect.
    — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of coating
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.

Browse Nearby Words

sleeked
sleeking
sleeks
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sleeking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sleeking. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of grotesque

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All