1
as in lurking
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 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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Funk says heavy pruning of roses should also be avoided as cutting too early can encourage new growth to sprout at a time when damaging frosts could still be lurking in the forecast.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
4 Mar. 2026
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While sunbathing at the property, Kate didn’t know that about a mile away, a paparazzo was lurking in the shadows, capturing the private moment with a long-range lens camera.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Perhaps the Easter bunny got a little hungry after hiding all those eggs.—
Laura Fenton,
Parents,
5 Mar. 2026
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From the dealmakers in the Polo Lounge to the celebs hiding away in the spacious bungalows, all manner of tastemakers and wannabes have stopped by the Pink Palace at some time or another.—
Tim Chester,
Robb Report,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Svetlana Dali, right, after sneaking onto a United Airlines flight.—
Jay Blackman,
NBC news,
26 Feb. 2026
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And Villanova hasn’t lost since its trip to Hartford, narrowly sneaking past Xavier in overtime to win its sixth in a row on Tuesday.—
Joe Arruda,
Hartford Courant,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Neither Campos nor court documents mentioned any criminal or civil cases in Ruiz’s record, nor were there explicit claims of Ruiz lying about his voter registration, voting history or other candidate background information.—
Joseph States,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Mar. 2026
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Hadel responded by punching Brown twice, sending him pummeling towards the ground, hitting his head on the pavement and lying motionless on the pavement.—
Mathew Schumer,
Baltimore Sun,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Skulking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skulking. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
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