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 In my view, there is an even more insidious danger lurking within our AI use. — Keren Yarhi-Milo, Time, 8 Nov. 2026 Oh, and there’s still the Kingsley Suamataia situation lurking in the background. — Scott Chasen, Kansas City Star, 8 Nov. 2026 Every facet of India’s topography, from lush grasslands filled with antelopes to gnarled forests with tigers and evil spirits lurking around every corner, is on full display. — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 30 Oct. 2026 The Beast, or some Beast-like relative, also has been seen in Milwaukee, outside a Kentucky Fried Chicken in Lake Geneva and, across the state line, in Antioch, Galena and lurking near the Great Lakes Naval Station in Lake County. — Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 29 Oct. 2026 The creepy creatures lurking on front lawns this Halloween season might just owe their frightful flair to a Charlotte resident. — Charlotte Observer, 28 Oct. 2026 Clarke and Henrik Stenson appeared to be in a two-man race, with Mario Tiziani lurking, until none could keep with Sabbatini and his explosive final round. — ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026 The Atlas Group primed viewers to read his documents as unstable, but the later work asks them to contend with shrunken objects, resurrected paintings, and vampires lurking in the archive. — Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 25 Oct. 2026 But with danger lurking around every corner, has the Duke’s unchecked ambition finally gone too far? — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lurking
  1. sneaking
  2. hiding
  3. slipping
  4. lying
  5. sliding
Verb
  • Bus noise was a similar story, with the low engine rumble handled well and only some of the higher-frequency intermittent sounds sneaking through.
    — Christian de Looper, PC Magazine, 26 Oct. 2026
  • For a solid thirty minutes, the candidates defended their honor as the race’s most pro-Israel candidate — at times sneaking in jabs about their opponent.
    — Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of sneaking
Verb
  • President Barack Obama had gathered his advisors to assess intelligence that indicated Osama Bin Laden was hiding in a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.
    — Keren Yarhi-Milo, Time, 8 Nov. 2026
  • San Diego professes pride in high graduation rates, but this is a chimera hiding the sad truth of how far our educational leaders will go to look good.
    — U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of hiding
Verb
  • Joggers Who doesn’t love slipping into sweatpants on crisp fall days?
    — Nicol Natale, PEOPLE, 2 Nov. 2026
  • The album’s experimental bent is also what keeps the music from slipping into parody or, even worse, po-faced sincerity.
    — Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of slipping
Verb
  • Across the West, the outlook favors snow in the Rocky Mountains and at higher elevations in California, while depicting valleys and lower-lying areas as less certain.
    — Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Nov. 2026
  • Watford said the woman was lying motionless on the floor for about 10 minutes before a housekeeper knocked on the door, the complaint says.
    — Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 10 Nov. 2026
Definition of lying
Verb
  • Soft blues and creams mirror the sea and sand visible through sliding glass doors, while natural wood finishes ground the spaces in their island setting.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Nov. 2026
  • Rooms unfold vertically, beginning on the ground floor of the extension, which is known as the Cube, where an open-plan kitchen and dining room sit alongside a reception room framed by full-height sliding glass doors.
    — Tori Latham, Robb Report, 10 Nov. 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 13 Nov. 2026.

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