slink

1 of 3

verb

ˈsliŋk 

slunk ˈsləŋk  also slinked ˈsliŋ(k)t  ; slinking

intransitive verb

1

: to go or move stealthily or furtively (as in fear or shame) : steal

2

: to move in a sinuous provocative manner

transitive verb

: to give premature birth to

—used especially of a domestic animal

a cow that slinks her calf

slink

2 of 3

noun

: the young of an animal (such as a calf) brought forth prematurely

also : the flesh or skin of such an animal

slink

3 of 3

adjective

: born prematurely or abortively

a slink calf

Synonyms

Verb

• sneak
• lurk
• slip
• slide

Choose the Right Synonym for slink

lurk, skulk, slink, sneak mean to behave so as to escape attention.

lurk implies a lying in wait in a place of concealment and often suggests an evil intent.

suspicious men lurking in alleyways

skulk suggests more strongly cowardice or fear or sinister intent.

something skulking in the shadows

slink implies moving stealthily often merely to escape attention.

slunk around the corner

sneak may add an implication of entering or leaving a place or evading a difficulty by furtive or underhanded methods.

sneaked out early

Examples of slink in a Sentence

Verb

He slinked away in shame.

like a thief slinking about in the middle of the night

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

When infertility came for me, my response was to pursue pregnancy with an ever-narrowing focus, incrementally eliminating everything else in my life—quitting my job, slinking away from friendships, disappearing from the wider world. —Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2025

The titanically prolific King is himself workmanlike on a sentence level, but his ideas have a way of slinking into the subconscious and taking root. —Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2025

Noun

Route 128 slinks through the folds of Anderson Valley like a slow river, past vineyards clinging to hillsides and orchards heavy with apple blossoms come spring. —Lauren Mowery, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025

Shortly after Jean Smart keeps the gag going by thanking Sal from the stage, Matt slinks backstage in a desperate attempt to get his name added to Kravitz’s speech. —Keith Phipps, Vulture, 7 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old English slincan to creep; akin to Old English slingan to worm, twist

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1607, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1750, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for slink

• blink
• brink
• chink
• cinque
• clink
• dink
• drink
• fink
• hink
• ink
• kink
• klink

Kids Definition

slink

verb

ˈsliŋk

slunk

ˈsləŋk

; slinking

: to move or go sneakily : creep along (as in fear or shame)