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
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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
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Recent Examples of sneaky
Nick's sneaky bet: Browns falling to the 2025 NFL Draft's No. 1 pick | What's Wright?
Nick Wright breaks down why the Cleveland Browns are a sneaky bet to fall to the No. 1 pick of the 2025 NFL Draft.
—
Ryan Canfield, Fox News, 10 Jan. 2025
Well, that’s our mantra after spotting this sneaky Ugg sale at Rue La La, with popular styles starting at just $36.
—Alyssa Brascia, People.com, 6 Jan. 2025
While Hudson first broke out a pair of snuggly sweater pants on the set of The Jennifer Hudson Show late last year, Mahomes opted for a dressier take on the trend by wearing sneaky sweatpant jeans at a Kansas City Chiefs game.
—Averi Baudler, People.com, 9 Jan. 2025
Go down memory lane Not all online sleuthing is of the sneaky variety.
—Kim Komando, USA TODAY, 9 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for sneaky 
Ryan Canfield, Fox News, 10 Jan. 2025
Well, that’s our mantra after spotting this sneaky Ugg sale at Rue La La, with popular styles starting at just $36.
—Alyssa Brascia, People.com, 6 Jan. 2025
While Hudson first broke out a pair of snuggly sweater pants on the set of The Jennifer Hudson Show late last year, Mahomes opted for a dressier take on the trend by wearing sneaky sweatpant jeans at a Kansas City Chiefs game.
—Averi Baudler, People.com, 9 Jan. 2025
Go down memory lane Not all online sleuthing is of the sneaky variety.
—Kim Komando, USA TODAY, 9 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for sneaky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sneaky
Adjective
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And Mark, in turn, begins to suspect that something shady is happening at Lumon.—
Eliana Dockterman,
TIME,
15 Jan. 2025
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Hotel Indigo Bali Seminyak Beach Offers Balinese Culture in Every Sip at Tree Bar At Tree Bar at Hotel Indigo Bali Seminyak Beach enjoy a beverage under the shady embrace of the iconic Pohon Pole tree.—
Sandra MacGregor,
Forbes,
14 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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That endeavor seemed as much a sly joke as an artistic statement.—
Stephen Galloway,
The Hollywood Reporter,
16 Jan. 2025
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Her words were few, but her sly smile was still there.—
Anne Byrn,
Southern Living,
14 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Given the clandestine nature of the process, the true number of fictitious sons who arrived during exclusion will never be known.—
Jane Hu,
The New Yorker,
23 Jan. 2025
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Inspired by the Belle Époque era in 1900 Buenos Aires, the soaring space manages to feel clandestine with its dim lighting, lush floral displays, and bartenders in crisp white jackets.—
Lauren Mowery,
Forbes,
22 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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And were there any other, stealthier voice cameos people may have missed?—
Matt Webb Mitovich,
TVLine,
19 Jan. 2025
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These animals are inherently stealthy and don't need to resort to such extremes to access prey.—
Kelli Bender,
People.com,
14 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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One that, again, merged something familiar – an undercover cop – with something unfamiliar: the world of art fraud.—
Marta Balaga,
Variety,
24 Jan. 2025
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In 2023, Benjamin Coney, 30, and Emily Grace Brinley, 26, both from Conway, messaged an undercover FBI agent posing as a mom of two girls, according to a Jan. 16 news release by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Arkansas.—
Paloma Chavez,
Kansas City Star,
21 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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For many Black southerners, the end of Jim Crow marked the beginning of covert discrimination—systems that, on their surface, signaled progress but kept discriminatory power dynamics in place.—
Essence,
Essence,
13 Jan. 2025
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Read: What Europe fears The Eagle S, however, apparently had a covert military purpose as well: Investigators discovered that the vessel was crammed full of advanced surveillance equipment, which used so much power that the ship suffered from periodic blackouts.—
Phillips Payson O’Brien,
The Atlantic,
13 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Historical records suggest Ludovico ordered the construction of an underground passageway to allow him easy access to Milan’s Basilica of Santa Maria delle Grazie, where his wife was buried.—
Sonja Anderson,
Smithsonian Magazine,
24 Jan. 2025
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Prime your body for a weekend of Quebec City’s outdoors by dropping in for daily yoga (18 dollars) in the monastery’s arched stone underground vault.—
Vjosa Isai,
New York Times,
23 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near sneaky
Cite this Entry
“Sneaky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sneaky. Accessed 28 Jan. 2025.
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