1
as in shady
given to acting in secret and to concealing one's intentions
never let one of those sneaking salespeople into your house
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sneak
undertaken or done so as to escape being observed or known by others
harbored a sneaking admiration for his chief business rival
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in lame
arousing or deserving of one's loathing and disgust
a sneaking two-timer who has completely lost his wife's trust
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in lurking
to move about in a sly or secret manner
the little kids sneak around upstairs when they're supposed to be in bed
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in infiltrating
to introduce in a gradual, secret, or clever way
sneak the topic into the conversation any way you can
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sneaking
Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 23 Apr. 2025
Doris Alvarez Cea, Florida Times-Union, 10 Feb. 2026
The squirrel even escaped its first capture, sneaking out from under the garment that was thrown on top of it.
—Julia Gomez, USA Today, 9 Feb. 2026
The teenager is desperate to debut in Regency-era England, sneaking into society events and eagerly attending etiquette lessons under the watchful eye of her sister Eloise (Claudia Jesse).
—Arushi Jacob, Variety, 31 Jan. 2026
That feature has since been covered over with concrete, so don’t get any funny ideas about sneaking into the palace after hours.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 30 Jan. 2026
Of course, after a while the thrill of getting caught fades, and sneaking around becomes deeply sad rather than sexy.
—Sam Reed, Glamour, 29 Jan. 2026
Viewers learn that Trent (Ian Merrigan), a former project manager for the bunker, killed him with a rotary drill bit after sneaking into the city and posing as a librarian named Eli.
—Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026
Di Lorenzo and Olivera forced saves from Robert Sanchez with the score at 1-0 before Olivera delivered the assist for Hojlund after sneaking behind Caicedo.
—Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 28 Jan. 2026
Meanwhile, the real privacy risk isn’t sneaking in through the back door.
—Tony Bradley, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
The package includes free breakfast for your plus-one (no more sneaking snacks away from the conference), a signature drink each night (perfect for unwinding after your workday ends), and 1,000 bonus IHG One Rewards points.
—Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 23 Apr. 2025
Verb
The collection is made for sharing or sneaking a few self-love treats for yourself.
—Doris Alvarez Cea, Florida Times-Union, 10 Feb. 2026
The squirrel even escaped its first capture, sneaking out from under the garment that was thrown on top of it.
—Julia Gomez, USA Today, 9 Feb. 2026
The teenager is desperate to debut in Regency-era England, sneaking into society events and eagerly attending etiquette lessons under the watchful eye of her sister Eloise (Claudia Jesse).
—Arushi Jacob, Variety, 31 Jan. 2026
That feature has since been covered over with concrete, so don’t get any funny ideas about sneaking into the palace after hours.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 30 Jan. 2026
Of course, after a while the thrill of getting caught fades, and sneaking around becomes deeply sad rather than sexy.
—Sam Reed, Glamour, 29 Jan. 2026
Viewers learn that Trent (Ian Merrigan), a former project manager for the bunker, killed him with a rotary drill bit after sneaking into the city and posing as a librarian named Eli.
—Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026
Di Lorenzo and Olivera forced saves from Robert Sanchez with the score at 1-0 before Olivera delivered the assist for Hojlund after sneaking behind Caicedo.
—Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 28 Jan. 2026
Meanwhile, the real privacy risk isn’t sneaking in through the back door.
—Tony Bradley, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sneaking
Adjective
-
Also, Wasserman in recent weeks assured individuals at his company and LA28, that besides the 2002 humanitarian trip with Epstein, there was nothing more to come from his involvement with the shady financier and his procurer Maxwell.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Some turned to a shady, largely unregulated corner of the financial world.—
Scott Horsley,
NPR,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
And Siegfried keeps trying to understand what’s wrong with this goat that its owner claims is lame.—
Alice Burton,
Vulture,
9 Feb. 2026
-
With about a year left until the next mayoral election, the attacks from Johnson’s opponents attempting to preemptively paint him as a lame-duck mayor could also turn off candidates worried about job stability, but their contract specifics would vary by agency.—
Alice Yin,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The hackers also stole information about diplomatic issues, lurking undetected in some systems for months.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Federal authorities said the man lurking behind the cyclone fence was Routh.—
Claire Heddles,
Miami Herald,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Thematically, Wuthering Heights is reminiscent of the director’s previous movie, Saltburn, which also saw a rough outsider infiltrating the upper class in Britain.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
9 Feb. 2026
-
The story begins with the Minions infiltrating Hollywood and pitching their own monster movie.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Be sure to overlap cardboard slightly so sneaky weeds have no chance of sprouting up between seams.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
9 Feb. 2026
-
After helping hundreds of thousands of people minimize clutter, Wells shares the sneaky spaces in your home that probably need clear bins, plus tips to make the most of these Instagram-worthy tools.—
Patricia Shannon,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Ortiz said Rodríguez Torres went further by overseeing the creation of clandestine detention facilities.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Yes, its signage and entryway are on the clandestine side.—
Josh Miller,
Southern Living,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Yet, even as India remains wedded to the dirtiest fossil fuel, its coal consumption is roughly 40% of China’s at the same stage of development, Ember found.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Camperlab also experimented with bleaching, dirty tints and shades of pink.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sneaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sneaking. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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