stealth

noun \ ˈstelth \

Definition of stealth

1 a archaic :theft

b obsolete :something stolen

2 :the act or action of proceeding furtively, secretly, or imperceptibly

the state moves by stealth to gather information
—Nat Hentoff

3 :the state of being furtive or unobtrusive

4 :an aircraft-design characteristic consisting of oblique angular construction and avoidance of vertical surfaces that is intended to produce a very weak radar return

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See stealth defined for kids

Examples of stealth in a Sentence

The fox uses stealth and cunning to hunt its prey.

Recent Examples of stealth from the Web

President Trump timed this pardon for what a compulsive TV viewer would regard as maximum stealth, for a time when the imperatives of viewership demand non-stop coverage of the dangers and drama of a great storm.

— david frum, The Atlantic, "Trump Won't Back Down," 26 Aug. 2017
Where her designs are bywords in stealth, the magical forest–inspired evening celebrations were a riot of Technicolor (and a crowd to match).

— Vogue, "Sophia Kah Designer Ana Teixeira de Sousa Marries at a Portuguese Palace," 14 Aug. 2017
Instead, it's been a sort of stealth-opening with no fanfare.

— jeff manning, OregonLive.com, "Adidas, Under Armour, brands on divergent paths, expand in Portland," 3 Aug. 2017
Sometimes, cameramen in night vision goggles silently spirited around my cave with the stealth of goblins.

— steve helling, PEOPLE.com, "Snakes & Hallucinations: How a PEOPLE Writer Survived Darkness, Discovery's Extreme Reality Show," 26 July 2017
Combat in The Lost Legacy also maintains parity with previous titles, requiring players to juggle sharpshooting skills with stealth, dexterity and resource management.

— lisa eadicicco, Time, "'Uncharted: The Lost Legacy' Is Even Prettier Than Its Stunning Predecessor," 25 July 2017
No wonder, then, that the Duchess of Cambridge has flown beneath the beauty radar this summer with a series of stealth trims instead of a one-step chop.

— Vogue, "Kate Middleton Cuts Her Hair into a Scene-Stealing Royal Bob," 17 July 2017
Featuring a more mature (23-year-old) Spider Man, swing between New York City skyscrapers, use parkour to nimbly scale obstacles, and engage in stealth and combat sequences.

— marc saltzman, USA TODAY, "The best explosive new action games," 17 June 2017
And there’s the Ninja Cat, a classic in which a kitty sees the camera, then moves gradually closer, proceeding with intense stealth.

— angela hill, The Mercury News, "Lion kings: Why cats are the lords of the internet," 13 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'stealth.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of stealth

Middle English stelthe; akin to Old English stelan to steal

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

See Words from the same year

stealth

adjective

Definition of stealth

:intended not to attract attention :stealthy

a stealth campaign

See stealth defined for English-language learners

Examples of stealth in a Sentence

the SWAT team carried out a stealth raid on the house, which was believed to be harboring a terrorist cell

Recent Examples of stealth from the Web

Saber rattling by North Korean ruler Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump has turned the world’s attention to the Pacific island that holds so much American firepower, sometimes including the B-2 stealth bomber.

— scott canon, kansascity, "North Korea, ‘fire and fury’ and Guam: Missouri-based B-2 bombers play a key role," 10 Aug. 2017
Pence is a stealth influencer, playing the president to boost his own political ambitions.

— jill filipovic, Cosmopolitan, "Mike Pence Is Using Donald Trump," 8 Aug. 2017
Its sophistication, expertise, technology, networks, and stealth have given Russia an edge over the democracies that have found themselves under attack.

— chicagotribune.com, "Russian hackers can't beat German democracy," 4 Aug. 2017
In stealth mode for the past two years, the cybersecurity startup Awake Security is now ready for its public debut.

— robert hackett, Fortune, "Exclusive: Cyber Startup Awake Security Debuts with $31 Million in Funding," 17 July 2017
When Trump won, this team won sudden praise for its stealth success.

— david a. graham, The Atlantic, "Trump's Campaign Succeeded by Breaking All the Rules—and It’s Catching Up to Him Now," 12 July 2017
In the interview, Turner specifically targeted her issues with fans trying to take stealth photos.

— colin stutz, Billboard, "Sophie Turner Says Dating Joe Jonas Is Like 'Living in a Fishbowl'," 6 July 2017
Fox Rothschild’s stealth growth strategy has found another target of opportunity: Seattle.

— chris mondics, Philly.com, "Fox Rothschild expands with acquisition of Seattle law firm," 6 July 2017
There's something else, too, well known to hunters: an uncanny ability to vanish, or to hide in plain sight like a stealth bomber.

— rick romell, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Despite growing worries about the herd's health, the annual fall deer hunt continues as a family tradition," 6 July 2017

First Known Use of stealth

1987

stealth Synonyms

Synonyms

backstairs, behind-the-scenes, clandestine, covert, furtive, hole-and-corner, hugger-mugger, hush-hush, private, privy, sneak, sneaking, sneaky, secret, stealthy, surreptitious, undercover, underground, underhand, underhanded

Antonyms

open, overt, public

Related Words

back-channel, closed-door, off-the-books, off-the-record; classified, confidential, restricted, top secret, undisclosed; concealed, hidden, secreted, subterranean, unadvertised, unexposed

Near Antonyms

acknowledged, avowed; aboveboard, straightforward, unconcealed, undisguised; unclassified, unrestricted; clear, evident, manifest, obvious, patent, plain

STEALTH Defined for English Language Learners

stealth

noun

Definition of stealth for English Language Learners

: a secret, quiet, and clever way of moving or behaving

stealth

adjective

Definition of stealth for English Language Learners

—used to describe military aircraft that are designed so that they cannot be easily seen by radar
: done or happening in a secret or quiet way that does not attract attention