Synonyms of sneaky

sneaky

adjective

ˈsnē-kē 

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

• shady
• sly
• stealthy
• shifty
• furtive
• cheating
• sneaking
• slippery
• cunning
• dark
• deceptive
• crooked
• clandestine
• secretive
• slick
• wily
• treacherous
• crafty
• close
• devious
• dishonest
• artful
• covert
• foxy
• lying
• guileful
• deceitful
• underhanded
• tricky
• duplicitous
• deceiving
• insidious
• underhand
• reticent
• untrustworthy
• mendacious
• perfidious
• untruthful
• closemouthed
• knavish
• serpentine
• trickish
• two-faced
• dissembling
• double-dealing
• defrauding

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• straightforward
• forthright
• direct
• open
• plain
• frank
• candid
• honest
• plainspoken
• truthful
• aboveboard
• trustworthy
• foursquare

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

• sneak
• clandestine
• undercover
• covert
• underground
• sneaking
• surreptitious
• private
• stealth
• stealthy
• underhanded
• secret
• furtive
• underhand
• behind-the-scenes
• privy
• undisclosed
• hole-and-corner
• hush-hush
• backstairs
• hidden
• confidential
• hugger-mugger
• closed-door
• restricted
• off-the-books
• off-the-record
• classified
• top secret
• concealed
• secreted
• subterranean
• back-channel
• unadvertised
• unexposed

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• overt
• public
• open
• avowed
• straightforward
• acknowledged
• obvious
• unrestricted
• clear
• unclassified
• undisguised
• evident
• plain
• unconcealed
• manifest
• aboveboard
• patent

Examples of sneaky in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Many comments on the Parenting in a Tech World group revolve around how often parental controls fail, change or kids find a sneaky workaround. —Jennifer Jolly, USA TODAY, 8 Oct. 2024

He’s got a really good stick and he’s got some sneaky dangles as well. —Phil Thompson, Chicago Tribune, 7 Oct. 2024

Find it on Amazon Enjoy Comfort In Yoga Dress Pants That Feel Like Leggings These yoga dress pants are sneaky! —Hyphensocial Contributors, Rolling Stone, 5 Oct. 2024

Get the recipe 11 of 12 Harvest Cake Reader Meghan Mays is sneaky! —Josh Miller, Southern Living, 4 Oct. 2024