sneaky

1 of 2

adjective

ˈsnē-kē 

sneakier; sneakiest

: marked by stealth, furtiveness, or shiftiness

a sneaky trick

sneakily

ˈsnē-kə-lē 

adverb

sneakiness

ˈsnē-kē-nəs 

noun

sneakiness

2 of 2

noun

sneak·​i·​ness -kēnə̇s 

-kin-

plural -es

: the quality or state of being sneaky

Synonyms of sneaky

Adjective

• shady
• sly
• stealthy

Examples of sneaky in a Sentence

Adjective

They make it look like you're getting a lot more than you really are. It's a sneaky trick.

It's a sneaky way of getting people to buy something they don't need.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Worse still, the messages can be encoded such that a human trying to figure out what is going on will be unable to decode the sneaky digital traffic. — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026

And don’t be afraid to protect yourself and your skin from all those sneaky germs lurking around you, hemlines aside. — Kara Nesvig, Allure, 10 Aug. 2026

Johnson says that utilizing the back of a door is a sneaky way to maximize your cabinet’s potential. — Kelsey Mulvey, Southern Living, 8 Aug. 2026

From critical infrastructure exploits to sneaky post-quantum attacks, the security landscape is shifting fast. — Kim Key, PC Magazine, 8 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1833, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for sneaky

• cheeky
• creaky
• freaky
• kiki
• leaky
• squeaky
• streaky

Kids Definition

sneaky

adjective

ˈsnē-kē 

sneakier; sneakiest

1

: behaving in a sly or secret manner

2

: marked by secrecy or slyness

a sneaky trick

sneakily

-kə-lē 

adverb

sneakiness

-kē-nəs 

noun