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 The most profitable service targets authors lurking outside the notoriously gatekept realm of traditional publishing. — Snigdha Poonam, The Dial, 13 Oct. 2026 However, the modern versions that are packed with high explosives and sit lurking under the dirt to blow up unwary vehicles or pedestrians are much nastier affairs. — New Atlas, 12 Oct. 2026 There’s not a dark shadow with a monster lurking in it to be found anywhere in the film. — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2026 As two formidable women go head-to-head, their battle for the soul of Longview exposes the secrets, resentments, and desires lurking beneath its picture-perfect surface. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 9 Oct. 2026 That dream came to a screeching halt six years ago, when a sinkhole tore open that revealed an old mine lurking under Hideaway Hills -- forcing more than a dozen families to flee. — ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026 Flanagan’s customary whip pans are here to surprise us with characters lurking outside the frame, but this isn’t a story with many external supernatural threats, and tension doesn’t build. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2026 But that didn’t take into account a bug lurking in the cars’ software. — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 5 Oct. 2026 The friend credited the scan with saving his life, and my mom, suddenly worried at what could be lurking in their own bodies, made an appointment and forced my dad to come with her. — Trisha Thadani Kirsten Potter Tanya Pérez Devin Murphy, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lurking
  1. sneaking
  2. hiding
  3. slipping
  4. lying
  5. sliding
Verb
  • Kids made good accomplices, tasked with sneaking off on a hunt for the bill.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
  • At 15, Mariana de Miguel was already sneaking into Mexico City’s nightlife with a fake ID, saving money to see the bands that shaped her imagination.
    — Isabela Raygoza, Billboard, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of sneaking
Verb
  • But this is in fact the opportunity hiding inside the greatest technological acceleration of our lifetimes.
    — Matt Alt, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Apparently, as Ted Bundy, Kip’s been Paused since last night, hiding under the porch of an attractive law student who’s suddenly on to him.
    — George Saunders, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of hiding
Verb
  • But a few months later, at her 18-month appointment, the standard graph that plotted a child’s weight against their age showed her weight slipping off the curve.
    — Raj Panjabi, Time, 13 Oct. 2026
  • If one hook isn’t enough to keep the bag from slipping, place another one on the opposite side.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of slipping
Verb
  • As for the lows, sweater weather will officially arrive for Charlotte, with lows near 40 degrees this weekend, and a chance for patchy frost for out-lying areas, forecasters say.
    — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The fight was now about accusations of lying, whether the item was for sale, and what actually happened in the store.
    — Bilin Lin, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of lying
Verb
  • With primary colors and winter gear Wondering how to avoid sliding across the sidewalk or catching a cold and still stay fashionable in extreme weather conditions?
    — Catie Pusateri, Glamour, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The rooms Every single one of the 75 rooms is ocean-facing, with floor to ceiling sliding glass doors framing the view, and leading to private terraces perched above the mangroves.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of sliding

Browse Nearby Words

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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 20 Oct. 2026.

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