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

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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

Examples of sneak in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The assailant known as the Pacific Beach Rapist (although some of the attacks were in the College Area) terrorized the community, sneaking in through unlocked doors or open windows during his 14-month spree. Teri Figueroa, The Mercury News, 11 Oct. 2024 The feds were sneaking into some folks’s e-wallets. Melvin Backman, Quartz, 11 Oct. 2024
Adjective
Noun
Plus, go to Instagram for a sneak peak into how the singer and host designed her new N.Y. digs with Wayfair. Shop the rest of the collection at wayfair.com. Erin Lassner, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Sep. 2024 In a recent company-wide meeting, staffers of OpenAI got a sneak peak at recent efforts to redesign the typefaces and logo for the company behind ChatGPT and the ongoing tech industry craze for all things generative AI, two people familiar with the company told Fortune. Kali Hays, Fortune, 20 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for sneak 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sneak.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Thesaurus Entries Near sneak

Cite this Entry

“Sneak.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sneak. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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