1
as in lurking
to move about in a sly or secret manner
I thought I saw someone skulking about in the shadows
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2
as in hiding
to remain out of sight
the animal control officers caught the stray cat that had been skulking behind some trash cans
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of skulking
The film’s John Slattery, who has fallen on hard times after the halcyon days of Mad Men and is skulking in the Valley, is enlisted to help with the endeavor.
—
Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 23 Jan. 2026
Advertisement Some have described voting out of fear, with security personnel in traditional clothing and sunglasses and armed policemen skulking around polling areas, according to ABC.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 23 Jan. 2026
This leaves Stephen skulking away to plot his revenge some other way.
—Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 20 Jan. 2026
The Serious-Minded Coach would hide behind the cloak of plausible deniability and let his agent do the dirty work before skulking out of town to his next gig.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 28 Nov. 2025
No longer limited to skulking around on a bar cart, metallic finishes like aluminum and brass are in the midst of a dazzling comeback.
—Kathryn O’Shea-Evans, Robb Report, 9 Nov. 2025
The seeds of the love triangle between Robert, Blazer, and Invisigal are firmly planted now and ready to bloom into a total shitshow — especially with the blonde hero’s recent breakup with her boyfriend Phenomaman, who’s skulking about in a deep depression.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 30 Oct. 2025
Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 23 Jan. 2026
Advertisement Some have described voting out of fear, with security personnel in traditional clothing and sunglasses and armed policemen skulking around polling areas, according to ABC.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 23 Jan. 2026
This leaves Stephen skulking away to plot his revenge some other way.
—Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 20 Jan. 2026
The Serious-Minded Coach would hide behind the cloak of plausible deniability and let his agent do the dirty work before skulking out of town to his next gig.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 28 Nov. 2025
No longer limited to skulking around on a bar cart, metallic finishes like aluminum and brass are in the midst of a dazzling comeback.
—Kathryn O’Shea-Evans, Robb Report, 9 Nov. 2025
The seeds of the love triangle between Robert, Blazer, and Invisigal are firmly planted now and ready to bloom into a total shitshow — especially with the blonde hero’s recent breakup with her boyfriend Phenomaman, who’s skulking about in a deep depression.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 30 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skulking
Verb
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For Mitchell, the key was subtly introducing clues into the environment that hinted at the darkness lurking beneath the surface.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
28 Jan. 2026
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But because of the below-freezing temperatures, there may still be patches of ice lurking.—
Morayo Ogunbayo,
AJC.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The novel is described as a reimagination of Cinderella, with Sophie and Benedict meeting at a masquerade ball, with Sophie hiding her identity because of her role as a maid.—
Jason Pham,
StyleCaster,
29 Jan. 2026
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In the late 1700s, when the Spanish built missions nearby at San Juan Bautista, Santa Clara, Carmel and Santa Cruz, natives often fled to avoid cruel conditions, tribal leaders have noted, hiding on Sargent Ranch, in the hills of Pacheco Pass, and other remote locations.—
Paul Rogers,
Mercury News,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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That feature has since been covered over with concrete, so don’t get any funny ideas about sneaking into the palace after hours.—
Tori Latham,
Robb Report,
30 Jan. 2026
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Of course, after a while the thrill of getting caught fades, and sneaking around becomes deeply sad rather than sexy.—
Sam Reed,
Glamour,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Borrower Defense is a discharge program for federal student loans that allows borrowers to request cancellation on the basis of certain forms of school misconduct, such as misrepresenting admissions selectivity or program costs, or lying about graduate earnings and career prospects.—
Adam S. Minsky,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
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Pretti is lying face up on the ground, motionless.—
Yahya Abou-Ghazala,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Skulking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skulking. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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