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
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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
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Recent Examples of sneaky
Kyle and Kamilla are back at it With nary an ally in sight, the butt doctor seemed like a goner, but Kyle and Kamilla were up to their sneaky tricks again.
—
Dalton Ross, EW.com, 10 Apr. 2025
She’s got some aces up her sleeve, though, like her own hyper-motivated personality (with some refreshing physical fitness to boot) and devoted Secret Service agent Manny (Ramon Rodriguez, the film’s sneaky breakout).
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 9 Apr. 2025
In addition to creating faux freckles, they can be used as a sneaky acne cover-up.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 9 Apr. 2025
Being sneaky on incorrect proofs is just the tip of the iceberg.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sneaky
Dalton Ross, EW.com, 10 Apr. 2025
She’s got some aces up her sleeve, though, like her own hyper-motivated personality (with some refreshing physical fitness to boot) and devoted Secret Service agent Manny (Ramon Rodriguez, the film’s sneaky breakout).
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 9 Apr. 2025
In addition to creating faux freckles, they can be used as a sneaky acne cover-up.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 9 Apr. 2025
Being sneaky on incorrect proofs is just the tip of the iceberg.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sneaky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sneaky
Adjective
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Good for a cool, shady location, the blooms are pale blue with purple shading nodding bells, 2.5 to 3 inches in diameter, and grows up to 15 feet tall.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
3 May 2025
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Imagine committing elaborate crimes to garner viral influencer attention or making connections with shady associates via the dark web.—
Jordan Minor,
PC Magazine,
2 May 2025
Adjective
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But reception took a turn for a worse when critics noticed Meta’s sly approach to ranking on LMArena, a site that ranks LLMs based on user votes.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
21 Apr. 2025
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Each plays a role in fooling their foe, who captures the turtle, while the deer, heeding the turtle’s good counsel, manages a sly escape.—
John Nemec,
The Conversation,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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He was allegedly held in a clandestine detention site and tortured by intelligence agents.—
Antonio Maria Delgado,
Miami Herald,
30 Apr. 2025
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Guests can order craft cocktails at the circular bar, and for those who indulge, there’s a small, clandestine cigar room just off the entrance.—
John Wogan,
Travel + Leisure,
23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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My network—stealthy enough that thieves often don’t even know they’re being tracked.—
Katie Jackson,
Travel + Leisure,
27 Apr. 2025
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Of course, like everything else in the defense realm, this advantage has resulted in an arms race waged over a century as navies come up with better ways to detect submarines while making their boats stealthier.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
26 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The Han Solo bon mot is reminiscent of Diego Luna's confusion when he is asked about smoothing some of Cassian Andor's rougher edges to go undercover as fashion designer Varian Skye in the second block of Andor season 2 episodes.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
EW.com,
1 May 2025
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Next up, he’s set to star alongside Bryce Dallas Howard and Sean Bean in the action comedy Deep Cover, about a group of improv actors who are asked to go undercover.—
Keith Langston,
People.com,
15 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The covert intervention in Chile is perhaps the best example.—
Gal Beckerman,
The Atlantic,
1 May 2025
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An upper bedroom has a bookcase and covert panels leading to a secret room — a delight for imaginative young minds.—
Mike Klingaman,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Even the price tag of the new Mount Weather work is confidential, but contracting details suggest workers will must be skilled in both underground construction and HVAC equipment, including air handlers.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
1 May 2025
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In 1965, the hotel built an underground bunker where guests could shelter during US air raids.—
Lilit Marcus,
CNN Money,
30 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sneaky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sneaky. Accessed 9 May. 2025.
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