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
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Recent Examples of lurking
Lucy and Elsa have built their lives around men who may have dark sides lurking.
—
Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026
The Wolves rushed shots in and around the paint all night because Wembanyama was always lurking.
—Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 9 May 2026
But some legal experts, academics who aren’t part of either campaign, say there’s a real danger to California’s civil justice system lurking beneath the high-dollar grudge match.
—Sacbee.com, 8 May 2026
So while your sun sign explains your personality, your Pluto sign is the intensity lurking underneath it all, urging you to reclaim your power.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 7 May 2026
However, lurking questions raised concerns about the integrity of articles Darsee published, including in the New England Journal of Medicine.
—Lawrence K. Altman, STAT, 7 May 2026
That’s the one that told the hockey world the Americans weren’t just lurking in the background.
—Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 7 May 2026
Barbecue season is back—but so is the reality of whatever’s been lurking inside your grill since last summer.
—Francesca Krempa, Bon Appetit Magazine, 4 May 2026
Saturn Saturn, lurking near the border of the constellations Cetus the Whale and Pisces the Fishes, sneaks up in the east around the start of morning twilight.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 2 May 2026
Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026
The Wolves rushed shots in and around the paint all night because Wembanyama was always lurking.
—Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 9 May 2026
But some legal experts, academics who aren’t part of either campaign, say there’s a real danger to California’s civil justice system lurking beneath the high-dollar grudge match.
—Sacbee.com, 8 May 2026
So while your sun sign explains your personality, your Pluto sign is the intensity lurking underneath it all, urging you to reclaim your power.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 7 May 2026
However, lurking questions raised concerns about the integrity of articles Darsee published, including in the New England Journal of Medicine.
—Lawrence K. Altman, STAT, 7 May 2026
That’s the one that told the hockey world the Americans weren’t just lurking in the background.
—Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 7 May 2026
Barbecue season is back—but so is the reality of whatever’s been lurking inside your grill since last summer.
—Francesca Krempa, Bon Appetit Magazine, 4 May 2026
Saturn Saturn, lurking near the border of the constellations Cetus the Whale and Pisces the Fishes, sneaks up in the east around the start of morning twilight.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 2 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lurking
Verb
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After about a year at the park and sneaking onto a field with American-style uprights at Kanda University, where some of his friends went to school, Matsuzawa wanted to make his project more serious.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
15 May 2026
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Ignoring her stricken mother’s advice, Lucila decides to go back to Mexico City to mourn with her grandparents (Luisa Huertas and Guillermo Ríos) and other relatives, sneaking the deceased loved one’s ashes into her backpack.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
Verb
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Not every summer movie needs to be a mystery that unfolds hallway after hallway, with a creature hiding around every corner ready to pop out.—
Tracy Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
-
This means that bills get hearings, debates happen in public, and legislators are required to vote on issues instead of hiding behind process.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Each of them is slipping behind.—
Jeffrey Sanchez-Burks,
Fortune,
13 May 2026
-
Stock futures are slipping before the bell after a positive session yesterday.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
12 May 2026
Verb
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Nymphal Deer ticks, which hatched from last year's eggs and spent the winter lying dormant under leaf litter, emerge en masse in June.—
Finch Walker,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
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OpenAI is already in a legal battle with its estranged cofounder Elon Musk, in which CEO Sam Altman was accused of lying about his plans for the company; the judge heard closing arguments yesterday.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
15 May 2026
Verb
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Whitlock was able to recover and make a sliding catch to end the inning, but Wong did not return and was subbed out for Carlos Narvaez to catch the ninth.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
14 May 2026
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That led to bulkier versions that helped guard against limbs sliding between the cushion and tubes, ending with a final iteration that, much to Axelsson’s pride, some colleagues didn’t realize was filled with air until its inventor asked them to stand up and hoist it above their heads.—
Jack Bantock,
CNN Money,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lurking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lurking. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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