sneak 1 of 3

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

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

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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
The Last of Us actress expertly snuck in a quick jab at Fallon and Kidman’s awkward first date — which saw the duo play video games at the host’s apartment — while speaking about the hit HBO series during her Tonight Show interview on Tuesday night. Emlyn Travis Published, EW.com, 21 May 2025 Haliburton tried to sneak a pair of brass knuckles to Paul, but Babyface Brunson was having none of it. Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 21 May 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
Rising junior Jamar Buckner scored a TD and Williams punched in a score on a QB sneak. Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 May 2025 Read the full Scorpio Daily Horoscope Sagittarius (November 22 - December 21) Considering a sneak attack? Usa Today, USA Today, 11 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for sneak
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sneak
Verb
  • Supermassive black holes lurk all throughout the known universe, but catching one in the act of devouring its cosmic dinner doesn't happen all that often.
    Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 6 June 2025
  • In this regard, another early-20th-century influence besides Bulgakov lurks in The Stolen Heart: Mykola Khvylovy.
    Uilleam Blacker, The Atlantic, 4 June 2025
Verb
  • The series stars Emily VanCamp as a mysterious outsider who infiltrates Hampton’s high society to take down the people responsible for destroying her life.
    Emily Blackwood, People.com, 3 June 2025
  • The hope for the final season may lies in the ongoing outside mission to infiltrate the headquarters.
    Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 31 May 2025
Adjective
  • Syria under Assad is believed to have operated an extensive clandestine nuclear program, which included an undeclared nuclear reactor built by North Korea in eastern Deir el-Zour province.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 June 2025
  • The only way to pre-empt detection by these IAEA watchdogs would be for Ukraine to withdraw from the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and expel the atomic inspectors, but those moves would amount to trumpeting Kyiv’s clandestine quest to develop a nuclear warhead.
    Kevin Holden Platt, Forbes.com, 1 June 2025
Noun
  • In the heat of its bloodlust, the weasel had killed the entire flock.
    Louise Erdrich, New Yorker, 25 May 2025
  • There’s narrative justice in lumping him with the weasel, the depraved, the criminal, the pedophile.
    Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 25 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Based on my firm's analysis, in April 2025, traditional indices moved in different directions: The Dow Jones declined by 3.28% and the S&P 500 slipped 1.10%, while the Nasdaq gained 0.90%.
    Arthur Mouratov, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025
  • The defense did slip slightly last year — from first to 13th in adjusted efficiency — and that’s in part because Iowa State wasn’t as physical and deep up front.
    CJ Moore, New York Times, 2 June 2025
Verb
  • Some shower caps use materials that can allow a certain amount of water to worm its way through, which entirely defeats the purpose of wearing the cap in the first place.
    BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 15 May 2025
  • The pair share a complicated relationship from the early episodes of Season 1, where Sauron, disguised as a helpless traveler, wormed his way into her heart and good graces.
    Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 8 May 2025
Adjective
  • Striking Iran’s nuclear program would likely set off a much larger conflict in which Israel and the United States hunt for covert Iranian nuclear sites and Tehran retaliates in the Middle East and beyond.
    Richard Nephew, Foreign Affairs, 26 May 2025
  • Mon Mothma's speech Mon Mothma's covert support of the Rebels becomes public following the devastating events of the Ghorman Massacre.
    Nick Romano, EW.com, 25 May 2025
Noun
  • That included building a short block wall to separate the deck from the yard — and prevent skunks, possums and other critters from creeping under the deck — build an open fence to surround the property, and add a swale to retain rainwater.
    Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2025
  • Then other critters came to feast on the skunk’s leftovers, the incredible video shows.
    Brooke Baitinger, Idaho Statesman, 9 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Sneak.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sneak. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

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