Synonyms of sneaky

sneaky

adjective

ˈsnē-kē 

1

as in shady

given to acting in secret and to concealing one's intentions

his opponent's sneaky campaign manager was clearly up to something

Synonyms & Similar Words

• shady
• sly
• stealthy
• shifty
• furtive
• cheating
• sneaking
• slippery
• cunning
• dark
• deceptive
• crooked
• clandestine
• secretive
• slick
• wily
• treacherous
• crafty
• close
• devious
• dishonest
• artful
• covert
• foxy
• lying
• guileful
• deceitful
• underhanded
• tricky
• duplicitous
• deceiving
• insidious
• underhand
• reticent
• untrustworthy
• mendacious
• perfidious
• untruthful
• closemouthed
• knavish
• serpentine
• trickish
• two-faced
• dissembling
• double-dealing
• defrauding

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• straightforward
• forthright
• direct
• open
• plain
• frank
• candid
• honest
• plainspoken
• truthful
• aboveboard
• trustworthy
• foursquare

2

as in sneak

undertaken or done so as to escape being observed or known by others

a sneaky plan to replace the priceless painting with a copy

Synonyms & Similar Words

• sneak
• clandestine
• undercover
• covert
• underground
• sneaking
• surreptitious
• private
• stealth
• stealthy
• underhanded
• secret
• furtive
• underhand
• behind-the-scenes
• privy
• undisclosed
• hole-and-corner
• hush-hush
• backstairs
• hidden
• confidential
• hugger-mugger
• closed-door
• restricted
• off-the-books
• off-the-record
• classified
• top secret
• concealed
• secreted
• subterranean
• back-channel
• unadvertised
• unexposed

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• overt
• public
• open
• avowed
• straightforward
• acknowledged
• obvious
• unrestricted
• clear
• unclassified
• undisguised
• evident
• plain
• unconcealed
• manifest
• aboveboard
• patent

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of sneaky

From shopping for clothes to nailing Parisian style in the heart of the city itself to snagging groceries to make a meal at your Airbnb, these bags are a sneaky hack to streamline your travel days. — Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 26 June 2026

Tumi Moshobane slipped a sneaky header into the net in the 69th minute, erasing the foul taste after a 5-1 loss at Forward Madison that AC Boise coach called the one of the worst technical performances from any of his teams. — Idaho Statesman, 21 June 2026

Politicians can be just as sneaky. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 20 June 2026

As the evening progressed, the Plaths used some sneaky tactics to throw a surprise wedding anniversary party for Zac and Lydia right under their noses. — Abigail Adams, PEOPLE, 17 June 2026