skulked

Definition of skulkednext
past tense of skulk
1
as in lurked
to move about in a sly or secret manner I thought I saw someone skulking about in the shadows

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in hid
to remain out of sight the animal control officers caught the stray cat that had been skulking behind some trash cans

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 skulked One roach skulked under a food prep table. David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 12 Dec. 2025 Soon after My Bloody Valentine skulked into the Wembley Arena spotlights, the initial roar of some 12,000 fans abated. Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 28 Nov. 2025 Money speaks, the land listens, where the Anarchist skulked, where the horsethief plied his trade, we fishers of Americans will cast our nets of perfect ten-acre mesh, leveled and varmint-proofed, ready to build on. Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2025 The models skulked through The Box like zombies from a past life. Nadja Sayej, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skulked
Verb
  • The Dodgers have lurked in the higher end of this free-agent market with shorter-term scenarios that carry bigger annual salaries.
    Matt Gelb, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
  • Shackleton began collecting interviews and shot evocative B-roll footage of ghostly California freeways and parking lots where the killer may have once lurked.
    Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 21 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • But then, on a sweltering Alabama afternoon in the summer of 2024, somebody snuck into the police department’s evidence room.
    Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 7 Feb. 2026
  • The first was an odd-angle shot that sneaked by Andrei Vasilevskiy.
    Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • But in their daring escape through the window, the crown of Empress Eugénie slipped from their grasp and was left battered on the pavement below.
    Laura Sharman, CNN Money, 6 Feb. 2026
  • One of The Kid’s classmates slipped through an inflatable ring in my pool, and her mom had to jump in, fully clothed, after her, but that near mishap only seemed to bring our group closer together.
    Jen Wang, Vogue, 6 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Skulked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skulked. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.

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