sneaking 1 of 2

adjective

ˈsnē-kiŋ How to pronounce sneaking (audio)
Definition of sneakingnext
1
as in shady
given to acting in secret and to concealing one's intentions never let one of those sneaking salespeople into your house

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sneak
undertaken or done so as to escape being observed or known by others harbored a sneaking admiration for his chief business rival

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in lame
arousing or deserving of one's loathing and disgust a sneaking two-timer who has completely lost his wife's trust

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

sneaking

2 of 2

verb

present participle of sneak
1
as in lurking
to move about in a sly or secret manner the little kids sneak around upstairs when they're supposed to be in bed

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2
as in infiltrating
to introduce in a gradual, secret, or clever way sneak the topic into the conversation any way you can

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 sneaking
Adjective
Contributor Yelena Alpert has a sneaking suspicion that these Frette slippers will last a lifetime, attributing her hypothesis to the shoe’s superior quality. — Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 10 Mar. 2026 The package includes free breakfast for your plus-one (no more sneaking snacks away from the conference), a signature drink each night (perfect for unwinding after your workday ends), and 1,000 bonus IHG One Rewards points. — Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 23 Apr. 2025
Verb
His one rule for guests is to chase whatever task is nagging at them, but to resist sneaking in actual work. — Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 26 June 2026 Trevino put Cincinnati back ahead 6-4 by sneaking a two-run single through the right side in the sixth. — CBS News, 27 June 2026 Parents have long used this beloved casserole as a vehicle for sneaking some veggies into picky kids' diets. — Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 1 July 2026 As for oats, consider sneaking in some extra protein to round out their nutritional profile. — Julia Ries Wexler, Health, 24 June 2026 The guys are up to their usual tricks — like sneaking out of a casket — but the real headliner is the appearance of Alyssa Milano. — Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 2 July 2026 Just a few weeks into the war, one of the Persian Gulf’s top oil producers quietly began sneaking its crude out of the Strait of Hormuz. — Weilun Soon, Fortune, 5 July 2026 But neither those measures nor Friday’s sizzling temperatures stopped fans from gathering in hopes of sneaking a peak at their longtime idol and sending Swift their well wishes. — Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026 Argentina won the last World Cup after losing its opener to lowly Saudi Arabia, Portugal won Euro 2016 after sneaking into the knockouts following three draws in the group stage and Spain won the 2010 World Cup after losing its opening match to Switzerland. — Patrick Sung Cuadrado, CNN Money, 21 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sneaking
  1. shady
  2. sneak
  3. lame
  4. lurking
  5. infiltrating
  6. sneaky
  7. clandestine
  8. dirty
Adjective
  • The weather service also cautions the heat index is calculated for shady areas only.
    — Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 3 July 2026
  • That makes these networks valuable for people trying to hide mass scraping, fake ad clicks, account attacks or other shady activity.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
Definition of shady
Adjective
  • Get Ready: Katy Perry Has Released a Sneak Peek of Her New Song And the internet has receipts.
    — Mehera Bonner, Marie Claire, 15 Mar. 2017
Definition of sneak
Adjective
  • Stronger and more flavorful than in your original lame iteration?
    — Padgett Powell, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026
  • On paper, some of the six, all of whom are far-right conservatives, have enviable educational backgrounds, but the record has proven that each one is openly political and willing to rubber-stamp nearly all of DeSantis’ lame and unconstitutional policies.
    — Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 June 2026
Definition of lame
Verb
  • Unbeknownst to its more than 800 members, Flod had been lurking in the public group for years, silently celebrating each new mention of Pinky.
    — Ryan Steven Green, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2026
  • Messi, Mbappe and Kane will battle for this award, although Dembele is lurking, too.
    — Matt Slater, New York Times, 29 June 2026
Definition of lurking
Verb
  • Towle, 26, is currently in between stages of a clinical trial involving tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy.
    — Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 12 June 2026
  • Lanzani plays Rubio, an army officer tasked with infiltrating the Santa Cruz Church where the relatives of the missing have begun organizing.
    — Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 12 June 2026
Definition of infiltrating
Adjective
  • From shopping for clothes to nailing Parisian style in the heart of the city itself to snagging groceries to make a meal at your Airbnb, these bags are a sneaky hack to streamline your travel days.
    — Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 26 June 2026
  • Bunting and Matthews had sneaky-good chemistry on the ice and off it.
    — Jonas Siegel, New York Times, 23 June 2026
Definition of sneaky
Adjective
  • That was a concern because other research has indicated the Chinese government has, at times, delayed public disclosure of vulnerabilities submitted to the program so they could later be used in clandestine cyberattacks.
    — Thomas Brewster, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
  • The screening usually focusses on clandestine hanky-panky, but this season the girls’ irreverence was so abundant that the producers treated them to an unprecedented second viewing night.
    — Lillian Fishman, New Yorker, 27 June 2026
Definition of clandestine
Adjective
  • Or stands proudly athwart a county that has long demonized it as too dirty, too crime-ridden — in other words, too Latino.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • At the center sits a giant mound of dirty work clothes, and hidden speakers play a nonstop whisper of the laborers’ names.
    — Jeff Chu, Travel + Leisure, 6 July 2026
Definition of dirty

Browse Nearby Words

sneakiness
sneaking
sneaking up
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Cite this Entry

“Sneaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sneaking. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of sneaking for Spanish Speakers

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