1
as in shady
given to acting in secret and to concealing one's intentions
his opponent's sneaky campaign manager was clearly up to something
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sneak
undertaken or done so as to escape being observed or known by others
a sneaky plan to replace the priceless painting with a copy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 sneaky
Marketers and retailers leverage this sneaky science to influence your daily buying decisions.
—
Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025
Upgrade to some new bags that hold a sneaky amount of stuff and look great doing it.
—Sara Coughlin, SELF, 19 May 2025
From sneaky ways to get her grandkids outside to turning tiny household tasks into exciting activities, here are the nostalgic summer things your Southern grandma would use to entertain and delight on a trip to her house.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 17 May 2025
Musically this is a sneaky banger, but the live performance doesn’t elevate it.
—Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sneaky
Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025
Upgrade to some new bags that hold a sneaky amount of stuff and look great doing it.
—Sara Coughlin, SELF, 19 May 2025
From sneaky ways to get her grandkids outside to turning tiny household tasks into exciting activities, here are the nostalgic summer things your Southern grandma would use to entertain and delight on a trip to her house.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 17 May 2025
Musically this is a sneaky banger, but the live performance doesn’t elevate it.
—Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sneaky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sneaky
Adjective
-
Patti LuPone had a shady reaction to questions about Audra McDonald in a new interview.—
Joey Nolfi Published,
EW.com,
27 May 2025
-
Simple Deluxe 9-foot Patio Umbrella and 50-pound Base Add a shady spot to your sunny patio space with this nine-foot umbrella that comes with a base that can be filled with up to 50 pounds of sand or water.—
Olivia Young,
Travel + Leisure,
26 May 2025
Adjective
-
Last week's finale, featuring host Scarlett Johansson and musical guest Bad Bunny, was packed with sly jokes hinting at big changes to the show's cast.—
Shania Russell,
EW.com,
25 May 2025
-
Trier and his longtime co-writer Eskil Vogt draw us in quickly to the family dynamic, establishing the sly ripples of humor that run through even the darker scenes.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
21 May 2025
Adjective
-
The fiery combination of Mars trine Venus sparks things up in your clandestine 12th house of secrets and eighth house of intimate affairs.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
22 May 2025
-
Tired of using bulky night vision goggles for your clandestine nocturnal activities?—
Jennifer Ouellette,
ArsTechnica,
22 May 2025
Adjective
-
Alongside them, a new generation of threats has emerged: smarter, stealthier and more targeted than ever.—
Mike Rosen,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2025
-
Thousands of home and small office routers manufactured by Asus are being infected with a stealthy backdoor that can survive reboots and firmware updates in an attack by a nation-state or another well-resourced threat actor, researchers said.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
28 May 2025
Adjective
-
Over the course of the investigation, Salinas Valencia sold the undercover officer several firearms, including two machineguns, as well as fentanyl pills and cocaine.—
Brian Bell,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 May 2025
-
Officer 18 was a standout among undercover officers, doubling his or her regular pay all three years.—
Ariane Lange,
Sacbee.com,
20 May 2025
Adjective
-
Striking Iran’s nuclear program would likely set off a much larger conflict in which Israel and the United States hunt for covert Iranian nuclear sites and Tehran retaliates in the Middle East and beyond.—
Richard Nephew,
Foreign Affairs,
26 May 2025
-
Mon Mothma's speech Mon Mothma's covert support of the Rebels becomes public following the devastating events of the Ghorman Massacre.—
Nick Romano,
EW.com,
25 May 2025
Adjective
-
Weather permitting, chefs prepare cochinita pibil, perhaps the most iconic dish of the region, in an underground pit directly on the beach.—
Claudia Alarcón,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2025
-
The second phase of redevelopment is expected to double the size of the Stockyards, adding three hotels, 300,000 square feet of commercial space, at least 295 units of multifamily housing and two underground parking garages.—
Kate Marijolovic,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sneaky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sneaky. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share