Synonyms of lurk

lurk

verb

ˈlərk 

1

as in to sneak

to move about in a sly or secret manner

we caught a glimpse of someone lurking around the corner

Synonyms & Similar Words

• sneak
• slip
• slide
• steal
• crawl
• mouse
• creep
• skulk
• snake
• slink
• tiptoe
• shirk
• pussyfoot
• mooch
• worm
• ghost
• edge
• pad
• inch

2

as in to hide

to remain out of sight

watch out for snakes lurking in the tall grass

Synonyms & Similar Words

• hide
• lie
• skulk
• lie low
• sit tight
• repose
• sneak
• hole up
• slink
• evade
• elude
• avoid

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• appear
• come out
• show up
• turn up
• materialize

Synonym Chooser

How is the word lurk distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of lurk are skulk, slink, and sneak. While all these words mean "to behave so as to escape attention," lurk implies a lying in wait in a place of concealment and often suggests an evil intent.

suspicious men lurking in alleyways

When might skulk be a better fit than lurk?

Although the words skulk and lurk have much in common, skulk suggests more strongly cowardice or fear or sinister intent.

something skulking in the shadows

When is slink a more appropriate choice than lurk?

The words slink and lurk can be used in similar contexts, but slink implies moving stealthily often merely to escape attention.

slunk around the corner

Where would sneak be a reasonable alternative to lurk?

While the synonyms sneak and lurk are close in meaning, sneak may add an implication of entering or leaving a place or evading a difficulty by furtive or underhanded methods.

sneaked out early

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of lurk

Deputies on multiple occasions responded to reports of someone lurking there until he was caught trying to flee the building. —Cristóbal Reyes, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 May 2025

There is danger lurking on the sea floor off the Pacific Northwest’s coast: After centuries of two tectonic plates pushing up against each other, the Cascadia subduction zone that runs from Northern California all the way up to British Columbia is due to rupture — possibly in our lifetimes. —Ella Nilsen, CNN Money, 20 May 2025

This replenishment likely comes from collisions between dwarf planets, cometary nuclei, micrometeoroids and other flotsam and jetsam lurking in the dark of the debris disk. —Keith Cooper, Space.com, 19 May 2025

Jaden Smith lurked behind my friends and I for most of the night. —Tiana Randall, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025