lurking

verb

present participle of lurk
1
as in sneaking
to move about in a sly or secret manner we caught a glimpse of someone lurking around the corner

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in hiding
to remain out of sight watch out for snakes lurking in the tall grass

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of lurking Something like that could be lurking for enrollees next year. — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2026 The consequences of synthetic content lurking on social media are not hypothetical. — Ofer Familier, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026 There’s something lurking in the waters off the coast of Newfoundland in Netflix‘s latest drama series Below. — Katie Campione, Deadline, 28 July 2026 The problem arises when dust is lurking in unexpected places. — Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 27 July 2026 Everyone in France has been more than aware of Zidane’s presence lurking off stage for the last few years. — Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 21 July 2026 Is the Caped Crusader lurking in the periphery of Matt’s vision? — Entertainment Weekly, 21 July 2026 These pests are excellent hiders, but they can often be spotted lurking under plant leaves and around plant crowns. — Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 20 July 2026 American Ryan Gerard and Australian Lucas Herbert were three shots back, while big names like Bryson DeChambeau, Scottie Scheffler and Ludvig Åberg sat several shots back but were lurking. — Dan Zaksheske, FOXNews.com, 19 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lurking
  1. sneaking
  2. hiding
  3. slipping
  4. lying
  5. sliding
Verb
  • The fact that each tally mark was a dollar in the band’s pocket, and that sneaking in was essentially stealing money from them, also didn’t faze us.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Acknowledge your child’s feelings, then follow through with your goodbye instead of sneaking away.
    — Ashley Lynch, Sacbee.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of sneaking
Verb
  • The boyfriend of a 2-year-old boy's mother is facing felony charges after investigators accused him of hiding the child's body in the woods behind a Marietta apartment complex and lying to police.
    — CBS News Atlanta Digital Team, CBS News, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Few details of either incident were publicly available in real time because OPD encrypted its scanner traffic last year, hiding the activity of its officers.
    — Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of hiding
Verb
  • Calls range from people accidentally slipping into the river and overturned kayaks to boating emergencies and people intentionally entering the water.
    — Darius Johnson, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Jupiter showed cloud bands and its Great Red Spot could be seen just slipping off the edge, with three of its moons also in the field.
    — Damian Peach, Space.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of slipping
Verb
  • After Malawi earned a red card and dropped to 10 players against Egypt on Saturday, Chinzimu’s deep-lying defensive efforts kept them in the match for a 3-1 victory.
    — Tamerra Griffin, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Nobody tries to diagnose their own chest pain by lying still and concentrating harder.
    — Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of lying
Verb
  • An Intensity Slider – a simple sliding bar adjustment for controlling the depth, vibrancy, brightness and contrast of the TV’s pictures to compensate for viewing angles, onscreen reflections and simply different viewing tastes.
    — John Archer, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Originally housing offices, its heyday in Detroit’s industrial age was brief, sliding into decline in the 1960s and ultimately going vacant.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 July 2026
Definition of sliding

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lurking
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Cite this Entry

“Lurking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lurking. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of lurking for Spanish Speakers

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