1
as in lurking
to move about in a sly or secret manner
I thought I saw someone skulking about in the shadows
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in hiding
to remain out of sight
the animal control officers caught the stray cat that had been skulking behind some trash cans
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skulking
Verb
-
Installing strong antivirus software is essential to protect your device from malware, spyware or other security threats that may be lurking.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
20 Sep. 2025 -
The New York Mets are clinging onto the final wild card spot in the National League with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Cincinnati Reds lurking close behind and fewer than 10 games remaining.—
Peter Chawaga,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Buxton had been hiding in the 12-year-old’s room for 10 days before the family found him, officers told FOX 13.—
Paloma Chavez,
Sacbee.com,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Shapovalov, who had been carrying the ring around for six months, had Björklund’s family hiding in the bushes nearby.—
Rachel McRady,
PEOPLE,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Form And Function In Healthcare One of my most cherished childhood memories is sneaking into my father's study and pretending to be an architect.—
Dr. Taha Kass-Hout,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Ciarlo has been a beauty aficionado from her early age of sneaking into her mother's makeup drawer and smearing Joker-esque lipstick on her face.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The unidentified female was bound and gagged and lying next to an unidentified young boy who appeared to be in a similar state.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
20 Sep. 2025
-
For instance, lying habitually to a partner and expecting to be trusted and confided in.—
Lauren Rothery,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Skulking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skulking. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share