stealthy

adjective

Save Word

\ ˈstel-thē

stealthier; stealthiest

Definition of stealthy

1 : slow, deliberate, and secret in action or character

2a : intended to escape observation : furtive

b : designed to produce a very weak radar return a stealthy airplane

Other Words from stealthy Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym Example Sentences Learn More about stealthy

Keep scrolling for more

Choose the Right Synonym for stealthy

secret, covert, stealthy, furtive, clandestine, surreptitious, underhanded mean done without attracting observation. secret implies concealment on any grounds for any motive. met at a secret location covert stresses the fact of not being open or declared. covert intelligence operations stealthy suggests taking pains to avoid being seen or heard especially in some misdoing. the stealthy step of a burglar furtive implies a sly or cautious stealthiness. lovers exchanging furtive glances clandestine implies secrecy usually for an evil, illicit, or unauthorized purpose and often emphasizes the fear of being discovered. a clandestine meeting of conspirators surreptitious applies to action or behavior done secretly often with skillful avoidance of detection and in violation of custom, law, or authority. the surreptitious stockpiling of weapons underhanded stresses fraud or deception. an underhanded trick

Examples of stealthy in a Sentence

the stealthy movements of the crocodile cats are among the stealthiest of stalkers

Recent Examples on the Web It will be armed, among other things, with a new Long Range Standoff Weapon, also stealthy, that is budget at $609 million in 2022. — Loren Thompson, Forbes, 28 May 2021 Paired with similar non-stealthy fighters, the Super Eagle may perform poorly. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 28 May 2021 The fate of the outside world remained a mystery, with survival coming one stealthy step at a time. — Brian Lowry, CNN, 27 May 2021 The gun on its stealthy destroyer is a dud because of expensive ammo. — Fox News, 24 May 2021 Where there were a few, the CDC assumed that there were more—but that routine testing, their keyhole view into the organism's stealthy spread, had been abandoned under the overwork of caring for pandemic patients. — Maryn Mckenna, Scientific American, 19 May 2021 Vladimir Putin, Viktor Orbán in Hungary and Erdogan in Turkey were all initially democratically elected, but subsequently in a stealthy fashion began to dismantle democratic institutions. — Arkansas Online, 8 May 2021 With stealthy robots, sophisticated communications systems and powerful warships firing high-tech missiles over long distances. — David Axe, Forbes, 28 Apr. 2021 Learn about the stealthy hunters and hearty herbivores that call colder climates home. — Anchorage Daily News, 21 Apr. 2021

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