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sneaking

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verb

present participle of sneak
1
as in lurking
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

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 sneaking
Adjective
The package includes free breakfast for your plus-one (no more sneaking snacks away from the conference), a signature drink each night (perfect for unwinding after your workday ends), and 1,000 bonus IHG One Rewards points. Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 23 Apr. 2025
Verb
Here is Carreras profiting from that exact ploy while playing for Benfica against Barcelona in the Champions League last season, sneaking forward on the far side before receiving the switch and hammering a low cross into striker Vangelis Pavlidis to score. Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025 Eileen’s determination to face down the boys and be accepted for her full self or Hedda sneaking around and steering everyone’s fates behind the scenes? Amy Nicholson, Twin Cities, 23 Oct. 2025 Whatever your topping of choice, anyone can relate to this pup sneaking a slice. Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025 Finally, Aleah and Tom end up at the house, slowly sneaking around and trying to maintain the upper hand in a dazzling shoot-out. Grace Byron, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2025 But the main action involved Norman Reedus’ Daryl sneaking into El Alcazar and killing pretty much everyone there of any villainous importance, while also freeing Roberto’s girlfriend Justina (Candela Saitta). Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Oct. 2025 But don't be sneaking just any old can of pumpkin into your cart. Libby Monteith Minor, Southern Living, 19 Oct. 2025 Newlyweds Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco made their first appearance as a married couple at the event — sneaking off right after taking their carpet photos — while Demi Moore and Lucy Liu shared some laughs on the photo line, and Scorsese and Ben Stiller each brought their daughters as dates. Kirsten Chuba, HollywoodReporter, 19 Oct. 2025 Earning rave review, this Advent calendar is praised for being well-made, with each treat packaged individually to avoid them falling from one special day to the next, or your pup sneaking into the calendar to devour all the treats at once. Christine Persaud, USA Today, 16 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sneaking
Adjective
  • At the time, many bettors turned to social media to say that something shady occurred regarding prop bets involving his stats for that night.
    Preston Fore, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Plants bloom well in shady locations and fill the late-summer gap with narrow, upright panicles packed with white or pink blooms.
    Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 24 Oct. 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
Adjective
  • Cut to Culhane doing lame bits with chopsticks as walrus teeth.
    Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Add in coach Steve Kerr willingly working on a lame-duck contract, and the Warriors could be looking for a new path forward within the year of saying hello to Butler, meaning that smell around Chase Center is one of desperation.
    Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 21 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The clip then hints that the small town is anything but, with disappearances of children, creepy creatures and more lurking in its past and haunting the present.
    Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Some are found lurking in remote corners of the world, while others have been hiding right under our noses.
    Real-Time News team, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Billitier did have a hell of a story to tell about his decades of undercover work for the FBI, including several years infiltrating a Colombian drug ring in Texas.
    Steve Belanger, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2025
  • Even with fewer boaters on the water, the threat of aquatic nuisance species infiltrating your favorite lake remains.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • So sneaky that some play a deadly game of hide and seek.
    NPR, NPR, 24 Oct. 2025
  • The Irish have been sneaky good after halftime all season, even during those losses to Miami and Texas A&M.
    Pete Sampson, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • In exchange, the agent told the pilot in a clandestine meeting, the aviator would be made a very rich man.
    Joshua Goodman, Fortune, 28 Oct. 2025
  • If substantiated, Russia's use of a maritime disaster site for clandestine military purposes represents both a security threat and a sensitive violation of an international agreement aimed at honoring the victims.
    Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Leave it on dirty spots for just a minute before rubbing residue away with a soft cloth.
    Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Oct. 2025
  • Williams has shown the ability to break some long runs and pick up the dirty yards.
    Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Sneaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sneaking. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

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