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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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
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Recent Examples of sneaky
Rag & Bone Miramar Refine Knit McKenna Shorts, $134 with code
Your jeans collection isn’t the only section of your wardrobe that can benefit from Rag & Bone’s Miramar offerings: The brand offers sneaky sweatpant shorts, too.
—
Averi Baudler, People.com, 4 Apr. 2025
That includes a starring role alongside Bruce Willis in the time-travel actioner Looper (2012), a sneaky voice cameo in Glass Onion (2022), and the lead in an episode of Johnson’s murder mystery series Poker Face (2023).
—Danny Horn, EW.com, 31 Mar. 2025
Tax season tips: Here's the sneaky way scammers are trying to steal your personal information
In 2025, people who generally make $67,000 or less qualify for free tax help through the IRS's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and Tax Counseling for the Elderly programs.
—Susan Tompor, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2025
With unmarked cases on the line, the people in charge of communicating their values had the opportunity to be very sneaky.
—Laura Bradley, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sneaky
Averi Baudler, People.com, 4 Apr. 2025
That includes a starring role alongside Bruce Willis in the time-travel actioner Looper (2012), a sneaky voice cameo in Glass Onion (2022), and the lead in an episode of Johnson’s murder mystery series Poker Face (2023).
—Danny Horn, EW.com, 31 Mar. 2025
Tax season tips: Here's the sneaky way scammers are trying to steal your personal information
In 2025, people who generally make $67,000 or less qualify for free tax help through the IRS's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and Tax Counseling for the Elderly programs.
—Susan Tompor, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2025
With unmarked cases on the line, the people in charge of communicating their values had the opportunity to be very sneaky.
—Laura Bradley, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sneaky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sneaky
Adjective
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It’s implied that before going into construction, Levon had brought his military training into civilian life in some shady (though likely heroic) capacity or another — maybe even kidnap recovery.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
26 Mar. 2025
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During a recent conversation with legendary radio host Big Boy, the 26-year-old spoke about her haters and shady tension that led to this notion.—
Mya Abraham,
VIBE.com,
25 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Each plays a role in fooling their foe, who captures the turtle, while the deer, heeding the turtle’s good counsel, manages a sly escape.—
John Nemec,
The Conversation,
7 Apr. 2025
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Here are six real books coming out this week, with dust jackets that reflect their real contents: mysteries and mishaps, often told with a sly smirk.—
Colin Dwyer,
NPR,
1 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Taking over a century-old garden house hidden within Shanghai’s storied alleys, Samuel Gui Yang softly partitioned the space, seducing the audience yet making every one of them a clandestine voyeur.—
Tianwei Zhang,
Footwear News,
1 Apr. 2025
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In a display of gallows humor at the sloppiness of the leaders’ theoretically clandestine communication, people online quickly turned those symbols into memes, and renamed their own chats Houthi PC small group.—
Kyle Chayka,
The New Yorker,
26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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This was not the first time the U.S. Navy has sent a stealthy Zumwalt-class vessel to the west of the International Date Line.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Apr. 2025
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Leveraging Tools That Detect Abnormal Identity Behavior Despite excellent policies, organizations are still vulnerable to stealthy tactics without the right tech.—
Galit Lubetzky,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Alan Ritchson says Reacher is the American James Bond Reacher works with DEA agents Susan Duffy (Cassidy) and Guillermo Villanueva (Roberto Montesinos) to go undercover in the rug-importing front, which is led by businessman Zachary Beck (Hall).—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
1 Apr. 2025
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To investigate further, the DEA had five undercover officers visit his clinic to see whether Hollington would prescribe them medications without legit medical reasons between February and July 2022, prosecutors said.—
Julia Marnin,
Miami Herald,
31 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Then Gungnir covert sniper rifle seems like a bargain, relatively speaking, at just $12,867.—
Davey Winder,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
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In the letter, Grassley wrote that the records would help shine a light on the Nazi planning of the covert escape routes.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Access is another issue: The chief noted that the department had even faced blazes in underground storm drains.—
Blake Nelson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Apr. 2025
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In closed briefings, Pentagon officials have acknowledged that there has been only limited success in destroying the Houthis’ vast, largely underground arsenal of missiles, drones and launchers, according to congressional aides and allies.—
Farnaz Fassihi,
New York Times,
5 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sneaky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sneaky. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.
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