SNEAKY Synonyms: 100 Similar and Opposite Words

sneaky

adjective

ˈsnē-kē

Definition of sneaky

as in shady

given to acting in secret and to concealing one's intentions his opponent's sneaky campaign manager was clearly up to something

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in sneak

undertaken or done so as to escape being observed or known by others a sneaky plan to replace the priceless painting with a copy

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 sneaky 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 As the evening progressed, the Plaths used some sneaky tactics to throw a surprise wedding anniversary party for Zac and Lydia right under their noses. — Abigail Adams, PEOPLE, 17 June 2026 Of course, some sneaky attorneys might read these questions and proceed to rely upon AI hallucinations anyway. — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 16 June 2026 Tumi Moshobane slipped a sneaky header into the net in the 69th minute, erasing the foul taste after a 5-1 loss at Forward Madison that AC Boise coach called the one of the worst technical performances from any of his teams. — Idaho Statesman, 21 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for sneaky

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sneaky

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

Eleanor immediately asked Margaret with a sly look of provocation on her face.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 29 June 2026
Unlike the other luxury swimwear brands on this list that pay homage to the silhouettes and style cues of the ‘80s and ‘90s, Miaou’s suits come with a sly sense of humor and color palette straight from the early aughts.

— Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 24 June 2026

Definition of sly

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

Brooke Shields paid a stealthy visit to the South Park creators’ iconic Colorado theme restaurant to support unionized workers.

— James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 6 July 2026
Both are stealthy predators and play an important role in controlling pest populations.

— Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 July 2026

Definition of stealthy

Adjective

The case stemmed from a 2022 FBI undercover operation where agents posed as real estate developers interested in building a convention center hotel in downtown Jackson, the outlet reported.

— Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2026
Following her cover story about going undercover as a high school student, Leibrock worked for SN&R a few more years before joining the staff at The Bee.

— Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 27 June 2026

Definition of undercover

Adjective

To achieve this, Israel employed airstrikes, cyberattacks, interdictions of weapons and covert action to impede Iran’s ability to resupply Hezbollah’s existing arsenal and supply it with more advanced weapons.

— Amy McAuliffe, The Conversation, 26 June 2026
After 1996, when the protease inhibitors were developed, the duty to warn continued to be an important standard when HIV status became more clinically covert.

— M. Sara Rosenthal, STAT, 25 June 2026

Definition of covert

Adjective

Inside, plans call for wet and dry research labs, teaching labs, collaboration areas, offices, instructional spaces and a 130‑space underground parking garage.

— Gabby Sartori, USA Today, 30 June 2026
Some experts — and Kennedy — argue that offering peptides through licensed compounding pharmacies would shrink this underground market and direct people toward safer products.

— Aria Bendix, NBC news, 30 June 2026

Definition of underground

Browse Nearby Words

sneak up

sneaky

sneer

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“Sneaky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sneaky. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of sneaky

adjective

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