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
Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 10 Mar. 2026
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
Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
Friends are sprawled out on the couch, or coming in and out of the room to show off their outfits, or sneaking mimosas into coffee cups.
—Jazmine Hughes, Allure, 24 Mar. 2026
The Hurricanes surprised the college football world by sneaking into the 12-team playoff field and going all the way to the championship game.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 23 Mar. 2026
Where dancing on sticky living room floors, sneaking beers from your parents' refrigerator and bumping music on stereos were hallmarks of adolescence.
—Jane Onyanga-Omara, USA Today, 20 Mar. 2026
Teenage boys sneaking to look at pornography is almost a rite of passage.
—Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2026
The Ferrari drivers executed a strong start, with Hamilton sneaking into the lead off of the line as the Mercedes duo again struggled to get away fast and stay ahead.
—Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
These businesses offer a way to entertain kids while sneaking in a little education.
—Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 13 Mar. 2026
But beyond sneaking small bombs past Israel’s air defenses, Iran’s use of cluster munitions may also be intended to try to reduce Israel’s stock of missile interceptors, potentially forcing it to fire dozens of them to eliminate the threat of a single missile.
—Jeremy Diamond, CNN Money, 12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
Contributor Yelena Alpert has a sneaking suspicion that these Frette slippers will last a lifetime, attributing her hypothesis to the shoe’s superior quality.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 10 Mar. 2026
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
Late Tuesday morning, in Terminal E, the line extends three stories, including outside the airport terminal where lines are sneaking around the drop-off stations for buses.
—Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
Friends are sprawled out on the couch, or coming in and out of the room to show off their outfits, or sneaking mimosas into coffee cups.
—Jazmine Hughes, Allure, 24 Mar. 2026
The Hurricanes surprised the college football world by sneaking into the 12-team playoff field and going all the way to the championship game.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 23 Mar. 2026
Where dancing on sticky living room floors, sneaking beers from your parents' refrigerator and bumping music on stereos were hallmarks of adolescence.
—Jane Onyanga-Omara, USA Today, 20 Mar. 2026
Teenage boys sneaking to look at pornography is almost a rite of passage.
—Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2026
The Ferrari drivers executed a strong start, with Hamilton sneaking into the lead off of the line as the Mercedes duo again struggled to get away fast and stay ahead.
—Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
These businesses offer a way to entertain kids while sneaking in a little education.
—Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 13 Mar. 2026
But beyond sneaking small bombs past Israel’s air defenses, Iran’s use of cluster munitions may also be intended to try to reduce Israel’s stock of missile interceptors, potentially forcing it to fire dozens of them to eliminate the threat of a single missile.
—Jeremy Diamond, CNN Money, 12 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sneaking
Adjective
-
In addition to serving as a showrunner, Levy stars as Nicky, an openly gay pastor who gets wrapped up in a shady underworld plot with his flailing sister Morgan (Taylor Ortega).—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 Apr. 2026
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They get captured by Hungarian gangsters and have to fight (and kill) their way out of an inn run by a shady former dance prodigy (Uma Thurman).—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 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
-
But large-scale remedies, such as finding alternative sources of revenue like a general tax increase to offset property tax cuts, are less likely when lawmakers and Pritzker are seeking reelection — though political pressures are lessened after the November general election in a lame-duck session.—
Rick Pearson,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
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This struck me as heartbreakingly lame and, therefore, as a moment of vital consequence.—
Amanda Peet,
New Yorker,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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There are stories of a knife-wielding, bride-killing monster lurking in the woods, which Nicky’s big brother (Jeff Wilbusch’s icy Jules) may or may not have encountered as a child.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Some of the animal bones lurking inside are completely unexpected, too.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Still, Handala caused some chaos earlier this month after infiltrating US medical equipment provider Stryker and launching a data-wiping attack that affected tens of thousands of devices, including employee phones.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
27 Mar. 2026
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By 1968, there were some three thousand Mary Kay consultants; over the following decades, the number grew to hundreds of thousands as the company expanded worldwide, infiltrating even Russia and China.—
Dan Piepenbring,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Faith Hill on why Gen Z is the sneaky-saver generation.—
Tom Nichols,
The Atlantic,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Try rye flour, a sneaky way to add complex flavors, a tender crumb and a little nutrition, especially in sweet baked goods.—
Kara Elder,
Washington Post,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Emergency passports handed off at clandestine locations.—
Shannon K. Kingston,
ABC News,
30 Mar. 2026
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Jerkins’ family operation included his cousin, Robert Smith, known as Big Bert, with whom Brandy began a clandestine relationship as the recording progressed.—
Jackson Howard,
Pitchfork,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Customers will keep fighting back with dirty returns, unused reservations and hostile reviews.—
Christopher Elliott,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
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About 20 miles southwest of Indianapolis, Mooresville residents report finding dirty water filters turning a disconcerting brown.—
Karl Schneider,
IndyStar,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sneaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sneaking. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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