How is the word slink distinct from other similar verbs?
Some common synonyms of slink are lurk, skulk, and sneak. While all these words mean "to behave so as to escape attention," slink implies moving stealthily often merely to escape attention.
slunk around the corner
When is lurk a more appropriate choice than slink?
While the synonyms lurk and slink are close in meaning, 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 slink?
In some situations, the words skulk and slink are roughly equivalent. However, skulk suggests more strongly cowardice or fear or sinister intent.
something skulking in the shadows
When can sneak be used instead of slink?
The synonyms sneak and slink are sometimes interchangeable, but 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
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Recent Examples of slinkImagine a Florida panther slinking its way 400 miles (645 kilometers) from the Big Cypress Swamp, in the southwest part of the state, to Okefenokee Swamp, on Florida’s northern border with Georgia, without ever being spotted by a human.—Reed Frederick Noss, The Conversation, 29 Apr. 2025 D’Annunzio slunk back to Italy the following month with a bombastic air of satisfaction, of a mission accomplished, and lived in palatial isolation.—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2025 When Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson walked up, Wilson talked through some moves with Walliser, and Hanks slunk away.—T. M. Brown, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2025 When Donalds slinked into a backroom to answer, the President told him the news.—Eric Cortellessa, Time, 27 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for slink
Cane then sneaks up from behind and kills Grady’s men, freeing his father.
—
Keith Langston,
People.com,
21 June 2025
Universal Studios Florida began its iteration of the attraction in 1990, SyFy noted, featuring, of course, a (mechanical) great white shark that snuck up on riders of the boat tour.
If wider markets slip, so may the appetite for future fintech floats.
—
Ron Shevlin,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2025
Mission slipped into 2025 because ULA needed more Vulcan rocket hardware beyond Cert-2 and the two USSF missions that took priority over the Dream Chaser flight.
—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 June 2025
Decorative wooden sleeves will be slid over the bright green metal posts, the council decided, because the El Portal roundabout is within the Leucadia Streetscape renovation area.
—
Barbara Henry,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 June 2025
Middle East stocks largely fell on Sunday, and analysts expect other world markets to slide Monday over fears that rising oil prices will cause global economic disruption and lead to stagflation.
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