stealth

play

noun \ˈstelth\

Definition of stealth

1a archaic : theftb 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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Examples of stealth in a Sentence

The fox uses stealth and cunning to hunt its prey.

Recent Examples of stealth from the Web

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
An extended stealth sequence followed: sneaking into the woods, through an outlaw camp, and then past a massive horde of zombies… before blowing a hole in a defensive wall and letting those zombies overrun everything.

— hayden dingman, PCWorld, "Sony's E3 2017 PlayStation games: God of War, Spider-Man, Shadow of the Colossus, and more," 12 June 2017
Fifteen eel species, all close cousins, work their way in similar stealth up and down rivers throughout the world, from Europe to New Zealand. '

— douglas struck, The Christian Science Monitor, "Maine's most mysterious catch," 7 June 2017
TRUBISKY HAD NO IDEA THE BEARS WERE DRAFTING HIM: How Chicago relied on stealth to get its quarterback of the future 7.

— peter king, The MMQB, "The Bills Begin ... Again," 15 May 2017
Louise Lawler is one of the great light-heavyweights of the 1980s Pictures Generation, an artist of stealth, wit and elegant understatement, adept at playing the art world against itself.

— roberta smith, New York Times, "Louise Lawler’s Stealth Aesthetic (and Muted Aura)," 11 May 2017
Some powers are focused on stealth, giving players an advantage in shadows.

— gieson cacho, The Mercury News, "Review: With ‘Prey,’ Arkane successfully channels ‘Bioshock’," 10 May 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

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
The stealth decision always looked a little hinky because the IAAF bypassed its normal bid process to make the award.

— ken goe, OregonLive.com, "Oregon Duck Raevyn Rogers clears first hurdle for The Bowerman: Oregon track & field rundown," 4 July 2017
The Type 055 also features stealth characteristics, the PLA post said, including a small radar cross section and low noise, infrared and electromagnetic radiation.

— brad lendon, CNN, "China's newest destroyer seen as challenge to Asia rivals," 28 June 2017
Take Victoria's Secret Angel Candice Swanepoel, who ran with the bionic hair growth that comes with pregnancy (and perhaps a few stealth extensions) only to cancel trims indefinitely with her stylist ever since.

— sophie schulte-hillen, Vogue, "Extreme Long Hair Makes a Comeback! From Kim Kardashian West to the Victoria's Secret Models," 24 June 2017

First Known Use of stealth

1987

STEALTH Defined for English Language Learners

stealth

play

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