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
His squirrelly, strained voice was well attuned to the furtive ambivalence of his stage presence.
—
Rolling Stone, 16 June 2025
The visual language is nimble, sometimes furtive and obscuring, and then classical and dramatic, recalling the photography of Robert Frank or Roy DeCarava.
—Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 14 June 2025
These kind furtive exchanges litter A Pale View of Hills, Kei Ishikawa’s overly careful adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s debut novel of the same name.
—Lovia Gyarkye, HollywoodReporter, 18 May 2025
In this setting, the episode shifts between covert conversations, furtive looks, confrontations behind doors, and everything in between.
—Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for furtive
Rolling Stone, 16 June 2025
The visual language is nimble, sometimes furtive and obscuring, and then classical and dramatic, recalling the photography of Robert Frank or Roy DeCarava.
—Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 14 June 2025
These kind furtive exchanges litter A Pale View of Hills, Kei Ishikawa’s overly careful adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s debut novel of the same name.
—Lovia Gyarkye, HollywoodReporter, 18 May 2025
In this setting, the episode shifts between covert conversations, furtive looks, confrontations behind doors, and everything in between.
—Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for furtive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for furtive
Adjective
-
The former Oakland Raiders linebacker was Arnold Schwarzenegger’s shady military pal in Predator (1987) before landing his own macho action vehicle in Action Jackson (1988).—
Skyler Trepel,
EW.com,
25 July 2025
-
Visitors will find 2,000 miles of shady hiking trails, 3,000 ponds and lakes with water originating from cool mountain peaks, 30,000 miles of fresh and often chilly rivers and streams and millions of acres of sun-filtering forests.—
Matt Alderton,
USA Today,
24 July 2025
Adjective
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For over a century, this clandestine group has extracted youth-sustaining substance from unsuspecting victims, including Max’s older brother who supposedly died years before, to extend their lifespans.—
Josh Weiss,
Forbes.com,
28 July 2025
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Taking on the guise of Red, Dexter infiltrates a clandestine meeting of the serial killer minds, hosted by Leon Prater, a massively wealthy serial killer admirer played by Peter Dinklage.—
Josh Wigler,
HollywoodReporter,
25 July 2025
Adjective
-
But the screenplay by Yoni Brenner and Etan Cohen is generally much smarter than that, featuring a plethora of sly one-liners revolving more around characterizations than pop-culture references.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
24 July 2025
-
Mintz more than matches the acrobatic dancing of Donald O’Connor’s Cosmo in the movie but underplays the character’s goofiness and goes for a sly, self-respecting sassiness instead.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
22 July 2025
Adjective
-
Carter and Tiffany in Butler County: Is there any way to avoid the Net Investment Income Tax? Answer: The Net Investment Income Tax (NIIT) is one of those stealthy taxes that can catch high earners off guard.—
Steve Hruby,
The Enquirer,
29 July 2025
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Take, for example, Britain’s latest stealthy attempt to resurrect Cold War tactics online.—
Rachel Marsden,
Hartford Courant,
27 July 2025
Adjective
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The bill would ban face coverings during public enforcement operations unless medically required or part of a covert investigation.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 July 2025
-
The human touch is also crucial for ensuring accountability with agentic AI use, particularly for security considerations like accountability and distinguishing a genuine user from a covert threat.—
Imran Aftab,
Forbes.com,
17 July 2025
Adjective
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Herr says the company is about to release a domestic version that can help with three-hour time differences—which, as any coast-to-coast traveler can tell you, can be a sneaky energy suck.—
Aislyn Greene,
AFAR Media,
31 July 2025
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The Dodgers might be content to let Snell and Sasaki get healthy and focus on the bullpen at the trade deadline, but there's one sneaky arm Los Angeles should consider if the price is right.—
Jackson Roberts,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 July 2025
Adjective
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At the beginning of the season, host Alan Cumming picks the Traitors that will pit the Faithful against each other by murdering them one by one while trying to remain undercover.—
Armando Tinoco,
Deadline,
22 July 2025
-
Ogles cited an undercover video obtained by conservative news website Townhall which appears to show a university employee discussing the school’s Office of Hope, Unity, and Belonging.—
Ruben Montoya,
The Tennessean,
19 July 2025
Adjective
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Guarding shorter, shiftier wideouts like Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba is a different challenge, but Woolen is usually well equipped to handle those matchups.—
Michael-Shawn Dugar,
New York Times,
26 July 2025
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The 5-foot-8, 198-pound running back has the resume of a shifty weapon on both offense and special teams.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
11 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Furtive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/furtive. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
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