sneak 1 of 3

verb

ˈsnēk How to pronounce sneak (audio)
Definition of sneaknext
1
as in to lurk
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

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2
as in to infiltrate
to introduce in a gradual, secret, or clever way sneak the topic into the conversation any way you can

Synonyms & Similar Words

sneak

2 of 3

adjective

as in clandestine
undertaken or done so as to escape being observed or known by others a sneak attack on the nation's capitol

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

sneak

3 of 3

noun

as in weasel
someone who acts in a sly and secret manner "Why, you little sneak," the mother exclaimed, "you made my birthday present right under my nose!"

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word sneak distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of sneak are lurk, skulk, and slink. While all these words mean "to behave so as to escape attention," sneak may add an implication of entering or leaving a place or evading a difficulty by furtive or underhanded methods.

sneaked out early

When could lurk be used to replace sneak?

The words lurk and sneak can be used in similar contexts, but lurk implies a lying in wait in a place of concealment and often suggests an evil intent.

suspicious men lurking in alleyways

When is skulk a more appropriate choice than sneak?

In some situations, the words skulk and sneak are roughly equivalent. However, skulk suggests more strongly cowardice or fear or sinister intent.

something skulking in the shadows

Where would slink be a reasonable alternative to sneak?

The meanings of slink and sneak largely overlap; however, slink implies moving stealthily often merely to escape attention.

slunk around the corner

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 sneak
Verb
While the victim was distracted, an unidentified woman snuck up and pickpocketed her cellphone and a credit card from her bag. —Nicholas Williams, New York Daily News, 2 Mar. 2025 The actress effortlessly paired her bright white sneaks with wide-leg denim and a white T-shirt for an undeniably simple yet stylish, everyday outfit solution. —Kristina Rutkowski, Vogue, 28 Feb. 2025
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
Noun
Giving you a sneak peak into our holy-grails below, there are plenty of moisture-replenishing face creams, protective face serums, replenishing face masks, and rejuvenating beauty tools to discover. —Kiana Murden, Vogue, 21 Feb. 2025 Buyers will see a slate of 12 new docs in total, including sneak peaks of upcoming projects. —Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 18 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sneak
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sneak
  1. lurk
  2. infiltrate
  3. clandestine
  4. weasel
  5. slip
  6. worm
  7. covert
  8. skunk
Verb
  • Some are found lurking in remote corners of the world, while others have been hiding right under our noses.
    — Stories by Real-Time news team, with AI summarization, Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 2025
  • Berlin is a city in a nearly hysterical hunt for secret Nazis believed to be lurking in the shadows.
    — Timothy Nerozzi, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 28 Feb. 2025
Definition of lurk
Verb
  • The 1,4-dioxane also has infiltrated the western portion of Seminole County’s public water system, although county leaders to date have been mostly mute about the dangers and the need for corrective action.
    — Kevin Spear, Orlando Sentinel, 28 Feb. 2025
  • As Rob rises as the leader of a band of rebel outlaws, Marian infiltrates the power at court, as both work together to thwart royal corruption and bring peace to the land.
    — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 26 Feb. 2025
Definition of infiltrate
Adjective
  • Information in federal systems includes Treasury payments that could be used to figure out the details of intelligence programs or health and personnel records that could reveal the identities of agents or the responsibilities of clandestine officers.
    — DAVID KLEPPER THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, arkansasonline.com, 28 Feb. 2025
  • The criminal charges also allege Navarro and Worden ensured that no invoice related to the clandestine construction surpassed $3,000, a threshold that would have required further authorization from Caltrain and TransAmerica Services Inc., the company that employed Worden.
    — Robert Salonga, The Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2025
Definition of clandestine
Noun
  • Some were as big as rhinos, while others resembled small weasels.
    — Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 17 Feb. 2025
  • Since graduation, Chen has racked up assignments in Mozart, Beethoven, Donizetti, Verdi, Wagner, and Puccini with opera companies and symphony orchestras across the United States and in Europe, often as the motormouth buffoons and weasels of classic comedies.
    — airmail.news, airmail.news, 7 Dec. 2024
Definition of weasel
Verb
  • That’s also true of the stories to which White is drawn, resulting in uneven performances (Isaacs’ Southern accent sometimes slips into an Australian accent).
    — Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 26 Feb. 2025
  • Its follow-up, the group’s second full-length, declines even further, slipping from No. 21 to No. 33. Follow me on Twitter.
    — Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025
Definition of slip
Verb
  • Chain Reactions Director: Alexandre O. Philippe Featuring: Patton Oswalt, Takashi Miike, Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, Stephen King, Karyn Kusama United States, 2024 For fifty years, Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre has terrified audiences by worming its way into their subconscious.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 6 Mar. 2025
  • In recent years, inclusion mandates and training have wormed their way into virtually every facet of American life, including (but certainly not limited to) Hollywood, corporations and academia, just to name a few of the most prominent targets.
    — Matt K. Lewis, Twin Cities, 9 Feb. 2025
Definition of worm
Adjective
  • Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Sergio Castellitto and Isabella Rossellini star in Conclave in which Cardinal Thomas Lawrence (Fiennes) is tasked with running this covert process after the unexpected death of the beloved Pope.
    — Denise Petski, Deadline, 2 Mar. 2025
  • In covert gatherings across California, raw goat or cow milk is mixed with cane alcohol and sugars to make pajaretes.
    — Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 26 Feb. 2025
Definition of covert
Noun
  • Cornell University’s Department of Public & Ecosystem Health expert Jenny Bloodgood told NBC News that she’s seen a fox, a skunk, a possum and a bobcat test positive for the virus in New York State, indicating the bug could be mutating.
    — Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 27 Feb. 2025
  • Medium-sized animals like skunks, bobcats and foxes also did not vanish.
    — Anton Sorokin, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Feb. 2025
Definition of skunk

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Cite this Entry

“Sneak.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sneak. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

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