sneakier; sneakiest
: marked by stealth, furtiveness, or shiftiness
a sneaky trick
sneakily adverb
sneakiness noun

Examples of sneaky in a Sentence

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
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.
While consumers are used to companies tacking on sneaky fees, the newest generation of bill increases are coming from government taxation, generally local or state. Kevin Williams, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2025 But their sneaky Game 3 strategy was to let Aaron Nola start and twirl a couple of innings, then wave for Suárez in the third inning. Jayson Stark, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025 Its durability is in large part due to Wilde’s sneaky indictment of the repressive culture that forced Dorian to keep his true self hidden, locked away in a closet. Samantha Allen, Them., 7 Oct. 2025 The character had a sneaky pathos. Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sneaky

Word History

First Known Use

1833, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sneaky was in 1833

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sneaky.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sneaky. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

sneaky

adjective
sneakier; sneakiest
1
: behaving in a sly or secret manner
2
: marked by secrecy or slyness
a sneaky trick
sneakily adverb
sneakiness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on sneaky

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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