as in lurking
to move about in a sly or secret manner
like a thief slinking about in the middle of the night
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Recent Examples of slinking
Psarras spends the majority of his time slinking through space, scanning the highly detailed living room of opulence for the next steps of Tony’s grisly plan (the varied set design, which includes some ingenious touches with translucent walls, is by Ron Gasparinetti) .
—
David John Chávez, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026
And Taylor telegraphs this through every beguiling movement, sometimes slinking, other times exuding braggadocio.
—Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 24 Nov. 2025
Either way, Invisigal is in the room listening to her friends debate her fate, noticeably slinking out as the door seemingly opens on its own.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 13 Nov. 2025
When infertility came for me, my response was to pursue pregnancy with an ever-narrowing focus, incrementally eliminating everything else in my life—quitting my job, slinking away from friendships, disappearing from the wider world.
—Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2025
The women wear stunning fashion numbers, Sebastian’s wife Dineo Price slinking down a staircase in a cleavage revealing skimpy number in its opening minutes.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 13 Oct. 2025
With the same playfulness of her makeup, Woods slicked the body of her hair in a bun on top of her head; her caramel-colored curled ends slinking around.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 16 Sep. 2025
Now summer is slinking off and autumn is rushing in, cool and a little wistful.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
On the final stretch into the town, fruit sellers latched onto the sides, vendors perched in the doorways, and school kids rode a few meters before slipping down and slinking off towards their homes.
—Monisha Rajesh, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2024
David John Chávez, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026
And Taylor telegraphs this through every beguiling movement, sometimes slinking, other times exuding braggadocio.
—Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 24 Nov. 2025
Either way, Invisigal is in the room listening to her friends debate her fate, noticeably slinking out as the door seemingly opens on its own.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 13 Nov. 2025
When infertility came for me, my response was to pursue pregnancy with an ever-narrowing focus, incrementally eliminating everything else in my life—quitting my job, slinking away from friendships, disappearing from the wider world.
—Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2025
The women wear stunning fashion numbers, Sebastian’s wife Dineo Price slinking down a staircase in a cleavage revealing skimpy number in its opening minutes.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 13 Oct. 2025
With the same playfulness of her makeup, Woods slicked the body of her hair in a bun on top of her head; her caramel-colored curled ends slinking around.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 16 Sep. 2025
Now summer is slinking off and autumn is rushing in, cool and a little wistful.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
On the final stretch into the town, fruit sellers latched onto the sides, vendors perched in the doorways, and school kids rode a few meters before slipping down and slinking off towards their homes.
—Monisha Rajesh, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slinking
Verb
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But her lover, the increasingly controlling and unhinged army corporal Don José, is gradually dimished to lurking in the shadows and hiding in crowds.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Who’s lurking in back of the building?—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Tina Peters is serving a nine-year prison term after being convicted of state crimes for sneaking in an outside computer expert to make a copy of her county's election computer system during a software update in 2021.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
3 Apr. 2026
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Tina Peters is serving a nine-year prison term after being convicted of state crimes for sneaking in an outside computer expert to make a copy of her county’s election computer system during a software update in 2021.—
Colleen Slevin,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Before the pandemic shuttered the season, the Illini were in a slump, if not an entire freefall, a 16-5 start slipping to a 5-5 end.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
1 Apr. 2026
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The likes of Bannon (at one point arguing with Iranian opposition supporters about what was best for their country) and Matt Gaetz, the former member of Congress, warned that the United States risked slipping into a forever war.—
Rob Crilly,
The Washington Examiner,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Attempts to resolve ecological responsibility through strict localism often risk sliding into cultural provincialism or nationalist enclosure—fantasies of purity that ignore how deeply entangled our lives already are.—
Manuela Moscoso,
Artforum,
2 Apr. 2026
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Hydroplaning is the term for when a vehicle begins sliding uncontrollably on wet roads.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Slinking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slinking. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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