1
as in shady
given to acting in secret and to concealing one's intentions
a furtive guy who always seems to be up to something, and usually that something is no-good
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in clandestine
undertaken or done so as to escape being observed or known by others
gave each other furtive glances as we watched our friend open the booby-trapped soda
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of furtive
One of Austin’s best taquerias is moving from its furtive spot in a downtown alley to one of the most famous streets in the city.
—
Matthew Odam, Austin American Statesman, 4 Feb. 2026
At the cottage, our protagonists replace the furtive glances and locker-room tension from earlier episodes with quiet intimacy and words of affirmation.
—Chris Dong, USA Today, 27 Dec. 2025
In a grimy gray wig and sober black suit that subtly but pointedly leaps a century forward from the play’s origins to recall the Founding Fathers, Matthew Broderick’s Tartuffe speaks like the grandpa next door and pads across the stage with furtive footsteps, a monster masquerading as a mouse.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 17 Dec. 2025
Then there was a furtive crunch, crunch, crunch of footsteps.
—Bob Cary, Outdoor Life, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for furtive
Matthew Odam, Austin American Statesman, 4 Feb. 2026
At the cottage, our protagonists replace the furtive glances and locker-room tension from earlier episodes with quiet intimacy and words of affirmation.
—Chris Dong, USA Today, 27 Dec. 2025
In a grimy gray wig and sober black suit that subtly but pointedly leaps a century forward from the play’s origins to recall the Founding Fathers, Matthew Broderick’s Tartuffe speaks like the grandpa next door and pads across the stage with furtive footsteps, a monster masquerading as a mouse.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 17 Dec. 2025
Then there was a furtive crunch, crunch, crunch of footsteps.
—Bob Cary, Outdoor Life, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for furtive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for furtive
Adjective
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In addition to serving as a showrunner, Levy stars as Nicky, an openly gay pastor who gets wrapped up in a shady underworld plot with his flailing sister Morgan (Taylor Ortega).—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 Apr. 2026
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They get captured by Hungarian gangsters and have to fight (and kill) their way out of an inn run by a shady former dance prodigy (Uma Thurman).—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Emergency passports handed off at clandestine locations.—
Shannon K. Kingston,
ABC News,
30 Mar. 2026
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Jerkins’ family operation included his cousin, Robert Smith, known as Big Bert, with whom Brandy began a clandestine relationship as the recording progressed.—
Jackson Howard,
Pitchfork,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The stage seems set for a solemn farewell—the first in a series of sly indirections.—
Giles Harvey,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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Boston and director Weronika Tofilska (who helmed the premiere episode, among others) draw out the gruesome undertones of familiar nuptial tropes with a sly and twisted sense of humor.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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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
Adjective
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The pivot to stealthy seafood comes at a critical time for the industry.—
J.m. Hirsch,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Mar. 2026
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By extending its range and enabling it to detect targets without emitting radar signals, the upgrades would allow the aircraft to remain stealthy for longer while maintaining its edge in long-range air combat.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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That secret, a CNN investigation has found, centered on China’s covert plans to massively expand its nuclear ambitions.—
Tamara Qiblawi,
CNN Money,
1 Apr. 2026
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Movies set in the world of top-secret spycraft and covert operations have entertained audiences for decades.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Faith Hill on why Gen Z is the sneaky-saver generation.—
Tom Nichols,
The Atlantic,
30 Mar. 2026
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Try rye flour, a sneaky way to add complex flavors, a tender crumb and a little nutrition, especially in sweet baked goods.—
Kara Elder,
Washington Post,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Some of the ammunition was purchased from co-conspirators by undercover officers, prosecutors said.—
Sierra van der Brug,
Oc Register,
31 Mar. 2026
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Working with a different undercover officer, this time in a European city, Chalker successfully extracted Bernadine to America.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Furtive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/furtive. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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