Synonym Chooser

How is the word stealthy distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of stealthy are clandestine, covert, furtive, secret, surreptitious, and underhanded. While all these words mean "done without attracting observation," stealthy suggests taking pains to avoid being seen or heard especially in some misdoing.

the stealthy step of a burglar

When is it sensible to use clandestine instead of stealthy?

The words clandestine and stealthy can be used in similar contexts, but clandestine implies secrecy usually for an evil, illicit, or unauthorized purpose and often emphasizes the fear of being discovered.

a clandestine meeting of conspirators

When might covert be a better fit than stealthy?

The meanings of covert and stealthy largely overlap; however, covert stresses the fact of not being open or declared.

covert intelligence operations

When could furtive be used to replace stealthy?

In some situations, the words furtive and stealthy are roughly equivalent. However, furtive implies a sly or cautious stealthiness.

lovers exchanging furtive glances

When can secret be used instead of stealthy?

Although the words secret and stealthy have much in common, secret implies concealment on any grounds for any motive.

met at a secret location

When is surreptitious a more appropriate choice than stealthy?

The synonyms surreptitious and stealthy are sometimes interchangeable, but surreptitious applies to action or behavior done secretly often with skillful avoidance of detection and in violation of custom, law, or authority.

the surreptitious stockpiling of weapons

When would underhanded be a good substitute for stealthy?

The words underhanded and stealthy are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, underhanded stresses fraud or deception.

an underhanded trick

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of stealthy This was not the first time the U.S. Navy has sent a stealthy Zumwalt-class vessel to the west of the International Date Line. Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Apr. 2025 Both will be stealthy and collaborate with robo-wingmen. Colin Demarest, Axios, 2 Apr. 2025 The ergonomic properties of black zirconium oxide ceramic, which is light and comfortable to wear, are bested only by its stealthy appearance, sleek by definition. Justin Fenner, Robb Report, 1 Apr. 2025 The cybersecurity team also highlighted the stealthy nature of the attack, which primarily targeted media professionals, educational institutions and government agencies. Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, FOXNews.com, 1 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for stealthy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stealthy
Adjective
  • The mood shifts from shady to straight-up scandalous.
    Shelby Stewart, Essence, 21 Apr. 2025
  • Instead, Fenix lost the biggest match of his young WWE career, albeit under shady circumstances, while Americano picked up a WrestleMania win.
    Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 20 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • After authorities responded with mass arrests, weavers formed clandestine committees and took secret oaths.
    John Cassidy, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025
  • Til Schweiger plays a sardonic whale-tourism boat captain (and former elite military operative, obviously) who gets roped into taking down a clandestine organization that’s building the perfect super-soldier through genetic experiments.
    Jordan Crucchiola, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Kyle and Kamilla are back at it With nary an ally in sight, the butt doctor seemed like a goner, but Kyle and Kamilla were up to their sneaky tricks again.
    Dalton Ross, EW.com, 10 Apr. 2025
  • In addition to creating faux freckles, they can be used as a sneaky acne cover-up.
    Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Asked by the newspaper’s lawyers to explain how the furtive system worked, Mr. Frankel typed up a 14-page memo.
    David W. Dunlap, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2025
  • Several of these involve a furtive religious cult known as the Scars — its adherents have a way of pussyfooting through the forest and doing absolutely horrible things to nonbelievers.
    Tom Gliatto, People.com, 12 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • After the unexpected death of the pope, Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) is tasked with running the covert process of choosing a new leader.
    Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 22 Apr. 2025
  • Those documents gave curious readers more details about Cold War-era covert U.S. operations in other nations, but did not initially lend credence to long-circulating conspiracy theories about who killed JFK.
    Josh Funk and Haya Panjwani, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • But reception took a turn for a worse when critics noticed Meta’s sly approach to ranking on LMArena, a site that ranks LLMs based on user votes.
    IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 21 Apr. 2025
  • Each plays a role in fooling their foe, who captures the turtle, while the deer, heeding the turtle’s good counsel, manages a sly escape.
    John Nemec, The Conversation, 7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Former Attorney General Merrick Garland said in October that the Justice Department foiled the plot as the men bought the rifles from an undercover FBI employee.
    Krystal Nurse, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2025
  • Kasie discovers that the Poet used jeweler Gemma Wood (Michelle Lukes) as a go-between to broker deals with anonymous clients, so Torres goes undercover as the man himself since news of his death hasn't left NCIS HQ.
    Sara Netzley, EW.com, 15 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Disco first emerged in underground Black, Latino and gay clubs where people created their own version of dance music.
    Alice George, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Apr. 2025
  • This week, Lawrence Burney steps in to talk about how a part of Baltimore lingo is entering the wider underground rap lexicon through artists from the Mid-Atlantic.
    Lawrence Burney, Pitchfork, 18 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Stealthy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stealthy. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.

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