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
But her lover, the increasingly controlling and unhinged army corporal Don José, is gradually dimished to lurking in the shadows and hiding in crowds.
—
Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Mar. 2026
Who’s lurking in back of the building?
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2026
There are stories of a knife-wielding, bride-killing monster lurking in the woods, which Nicky’s big brother (Jeff Wilbusch’s icy Jules) may or may not have encountered as a child.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 26 Mar. 2026
Some of the animal bones lurking inside are completely unexpected, too.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 26 Mar. 2026
Small, inexpensive drones are becoming something of a nightmare for military planners who can never quite be sure if there's a quadcopter with a camera or an explosive charge lurking nearby.
—David Szondy
march 25, New Atlas, 25 Mar. 2026
There are signs of tradition lurking elsewhere on the record.
—Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Pitchfork, 20 Mar. 2026
Sunderland are lurking and, perhaps for the first time under Howe’s management, Newcastle are in deficit, needing a response (yet again) after a chastening night in Europe.
—George Caulkin, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2026
Wacky weather may still be lurking, but the ice on Indianapolis' concert calendar is starting to thaw.
—Domenica Bongiovanni, IndyStar, 19 Mar. 2026
Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Mar. 2026
Who’s lurking in back of the building?
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2026
There are stories of a knife-wielding, bride-killing monster lurking in the woods, which Nicky’s big brother (Jeff Wilbusch’s icy Jules) may or may not have encountered as a child.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 26 Mar. 2026
Some of the animal bones lurking inside are completely unexpected, too.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 26 Mar. 2026
Small, inexpensive drones are becoming something of a nightmare for military planners who can never quite be sure if there's a quadcopter with a camera or an explosive charge lurking nearby.
—David Szondy
march 25, New Atlas, 25 Mar. 2026
There are signs of tradition lurking elsewhere on the record.
—Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Pitchfork, 20 Mar. 2026
Sunderland are lurking and, perhaps for the first time under Howe’s management, Newcastle are in deficit, needing a response (yet again) after a chastening night in Europe.
—George Caulkin, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2026
Wacky weather may still be lurking, but the ice on Indianapolis' concert calendar is starting to thaw.
—Domenica Bongiovanni, IndyStar, 19 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lurking
Verb
-
Tina Peters is serving a nine-year prison term after being convicted of state crimes for sneaking in an outside computer expert to make a copy of her county's election computer system during a software update in 2021.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Tina Peters is serving a nine-year prison term after being convicted of state crimes for sneaking in an outside computer expert to make a copy of her county’s election computer system during a software update in 2021.—
Colleen Slevin,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Playing the title role with an unnerving sincerity and startling sense of vulnerability, Early stars as Maddie Ralph, a young woman climbing the ranks as a Los Angeles food influencer while secretly hiding her struggle with bulimia.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Apr. 2026
-
The most notorious came in 2014 when Newsweek magazine dropped a bombshell cover story claiming the Bitcoin inventor was a 64-year-old man named Dorian Nakamoto, hiding in plain sight outside Los Angeles.—
Jeff John Roberts,
Fortune,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Investors were closely watching whether a two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran was already slipping after a round of intense Israeli strikes on Lebanon that killed and injured hundreds.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
That shift—from convenient to intentional—is what keeps a long-term relationship from slipping back into a roommate dynamic.—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
With its mix of Norse mythology, eighteenth-century cryptozoology, nineteenth-century science fiction, and the biblical apocalypse, the poem tells of something tragic and mysterious lying just beyond the bounds of human knowing.—
Kathryn Hughes,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Speaking of the fancy hybrid varieties, each flower appears to be a flower within a flower, since each typically consists of two contrasting floral stars, lying flat upon one another.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Attempts to resolve ecological responsibility through strict localism often risk sliding into cultural provincialism or nationalist enclosure—fantasies of purity that ignore how deeply entangled our lives already are.—
Manuela Moscoso,
Artforum,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Hydroplaning is the term for when a vehicle begins sliding uncontrollably on wet roads.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lurking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lurking. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
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