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Here's one for the word-puzzle lovers. Name three qualities that the word skulk shares with each of the following words: booth, brink, cog, flit, kid, meek, scab, seem, and skull. If you noticed that all of the terms on that list have just one syllable, then you've got the first, and easiest, similarity. The next two require some special knowledge: all of the words are of Scandinavian origin and all were first recorded in English in the 13th century. As for skulk specifically, its closest known Scandinavian relative is the Norwegian dialect word skulka, which means “to lie in wait” or “to lurk.” Skulk is also used—though less often—as a noun, referring either to “one that skulks” or to a group of foxes, animals often held to be furtively lurking around.
Examples of skulk in a Sentence
Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
Nolan witnessed the very start of the peck, then quickly pivoted and skulked away.
—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 1 Mar. 2025
The project marks the first venture to skulk up from Crooked Highway’s first-look deal with Screen Gems/Sony.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 28 Mar. 2025
Caught between Ocasio-Cortez on the left and MAGA, Schumer has been skulking through the U.S. Capitol mired in an aura of defeat.
—Alexander Nazaryan, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for skulk
Cite this Entry
“Skulk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/skulk. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
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