1
as in shady
given to acting in secret and to concealing one's intentions
a furtive guy who always seems to be up to something, and usually that something is no-good
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in clandestine
undertaken or done so as to escape being observed or known by others
gave each other furtive glances as we watched our friend open the booby-trapped soda
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of furtive
The clip, which shows the dog giving its owner furtive side-eye while cautiously walking by captured the breed's endearing blend of innocence and mischief.
—
Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025
His squirrelly, strained voice was well attuned to the furtive ambivalence of his stage presence.
—Rolling Stone, 16 June 2025
Over the past decade, furtive commercial entities around the world have industrialized the production, sale and dissemination of bogus scholarly research, undermining the literature that everyone from doctors to engineers rely on to make decisions about human lives.
—Guillaume Cabanac, The Conversation, 29 Jan. 2025
The secret-weapon character who makes the more haunting impression is Agnes, whose chignon hides a rebellious spirit underneath — as well as a furtive romance with the stable boy, Isak (Malte Gårdinger).
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 24 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for furtive
Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025
His squirrelly, strained voice was well attuned to the furtive ambivalence of his stage presence.
—Rolling Stone, 16 June 2025
Over the past decade, furtive commercial entities around the world have industrialized the production, sale and dissemination of bogus scholarly research, undermining the literature that everyone from doctors to engineers rely on to make decisions about human lives.
—Guillaume Cabanac, The Conversation, 29 Jan. 2025
The secret-weapon character who makes the more haunting impression is Agnes, whose chignon hides a rebellious spirit underneath — as well as a furtive romance with the stable boy, Isak (Malte Gårdinger).
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 24 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for furtive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for furtive
Adjective
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Another reason is that most EVs don’t use wires in their steering column so they can’t be hotwired and some have cameras and motion detection that deter shady people that get too close to the vehicle.—
Keenan Thompson,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
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Leaving it longer, especially in shady areas, helps the grass develop a stronger root system.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The Bundy family’s statement noted this and said their destination was not clandestine, as the FBI document alleged.—
Nicole Blanchard,
Idaho Statesman,
7 Sep. 2025
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The result was the Commandos, who operated in clandestine raids behind the lines to harass the enemy with remarkable success.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Her voice in the essays is sly and irreverent, knowing and persuasive—all qualities that endeared her to readers, despite her often excessively Manichean tone.—
Anderson Tepper,
The Atlantic,
8 Sep. 2025
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Pressured by friends to join the popular online game Nerve, Vee teams up with a sly and charming competitor (Dave Franco) for just one dare in what seems like harmless fun.—
Caitlin White,
Variety,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Get Ready: Katy Perry Has Released a Sneak Peek of Her New Song And the internet has receipts.—
Mehera Bonner,
Marie Claire,
15 Mar. 2017
Adjective
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The British designer made a stealthy comeback in 2023 with a namesake label hinged on her brand of modern minimalism, womanly allure and uncompromising quality.—
WWD Staff,
Footwear News,
10 Sep. 2025
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Not sure if this one was already posted besides all the other fancy stuff … looks like a new cruise missile (most likely a land-attack system) and maybe also as a stealthy KD-20/20A replacement?—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Moreover, the lobster boat and the Mako were covert FBI assets carefully disguised as legitimate smuggling vessels.—
Martin Suarez,
Rolling Stone,
13 Sep. 2025
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If compromised, malicious radios inside them could be used for simultaneous outages or covert data collection, the FHWA warned.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The finale opens with a sneaky cello solo answered by a mischievous violin line.—
Sheila Regan,
Twin Cities,
13 Sep. 2025
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Both teams are desperate to avoid an 0-2 start, and Johnson’s return adds another layer of intrigue to a sneaky-big early season matchup.—
Andy Scholes,
CNN Money,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Cameron Crowe researched what would become his debut script by going undercover as a high school student for a full year in what can only be described as a 21 Jump Street stunt.—
Paul Fitzgerald,
Rolling Stone,
8 Sep. 2025
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Further, this legislation is unnecessary if it is truly intended to apply to undercover officers.—
Charles Champion,
Oc Register,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Furtive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/furtive. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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