LURKING Synonyms: 33 Similar and Opposite Words

lurking

verb

present participle of lurk

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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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 However, the Broncos’ next opponent is lurking right behind them. — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 8 Sep. 2026 Investors want to see both OpenAI and Anthropic get their financial houses in order, with initial public offerings (IPOs) lurking later this year or in early 2027. — Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 8 Sep. 2026 Sanchez, lurking at Chicago goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan’s back post, capitalized on a cross and knocked a ball that was pinging around the box into the back of the net in the 11th minute. — ABC News, 7 Sep. 2026 But Ferrari cemented itself as F1’s second-quickest team early on, lurking for an opportunity to dethrone Mercedes that eventually emerged in Spain. — Luke Smith, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026 Maybe the top of the fridge hasn’t seen a wipe-down in months, or the inside of your toaster tray has some lurking crumbs. — Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 31 Aug. 2026 Scientists do not yet know whether dark matter is made up of ancient black holes lurking throughout space, undiscovered heavy and slow particles, or unknown lighter and faster particles. — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026 Newcomers Álvarez and Knight couldn’t be better in their newlywed roles, convincing in their giddy love scenes, their casual affections, their unwanted suspicions and, most of all, their terror at whatever is lurking in the air and in their souls. — Greg Evans, Deadline, 29 Aug. 2026 Superstitious Romans imagined demons lurking in the darkness under the toilet seats. — Andrew Coletti, Popular Science, 27 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for lurking

Verb

The new quarterback Mensah with a short completion that Toney turns into a 48-yard play, bouncing up from the tackle and sneaking in a quick little Heisman pose for good measure.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2026
Rather than trade Ohtani for Caminero, who has blossomed into a two-time All-Star at 23, the team added at the deadline in hopes of sneaking into the wild-card race.

— Andy McCullough, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of sneaking

Verb

However, researchers found that more than 15,000 of those edits had been made by AI agents that used the pages to share various tactics and tips for cheating, hacking, and hiding their behavior from human monitors.

— Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2026
On rainy days when the sun is hiding and the temperatures are cool, consider these your emotional support pants.

— Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of hiding

Verb

Each of its elements began, long ago, in the loamy earth, hatching and creeping or slipping, slick and squealing, from the womb of the mind.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026
Alongside the Rams’ Terrance Ferguson, the Saint was criminally undervalued throughout the fantasy draft season, often slipping well into the double-digit rounds in 12-team exercises.

— Brad Evans, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of slipping

Verb

That includes the energy pumped out from the hearts of galaxies by feeding supermassive black holes, a type of cosmic feedback that smooths out clumpy cosmic matter lying outside galaxies.

— Robert Lea, Space.com, 10 Sep. 2026
Of those same top-six roles, arguably only that of the deepest-lying midfielder, in No 6 Nico Gonzalez, is written in ink rather than pencil.

— Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of lying

Verb

Rodriguez ducks away from the challenge before sliding a reverse pass through for Adria Pedrosa to strike at goal.

— Thom Harris, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Faraday Future’s shares peaked with excitement about its EV plans in 2021 and have been sliding since then.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of sliding

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lurking

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“Lurking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lurking. Accessed 10 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of lurking

verb

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