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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of skulking
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
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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Their debut album, Forever, sounds like temporarily regressing to your childhood self while tripping—a kind of gleaming innocence desperately fending off the darkness of adulthood lurking at the periphery.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
6 Nov. 2025
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The Longhorns, Sooners, Miami and USC are among some of the higher-profile teams lurking on the fringe of the bracket, while schools such as Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt and Utah could still find a way to crash the party.—
Rohan Nadkarni,
NBC news,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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This mismatch between perception and reality has real consequences, fueling the notion that higher education as a whole is elitist and out of touch, hiding the work of the colleges that educate millions of working- and middle-class families.—
Yolanda Watson Spiva,
Fortune,
8 Nov. 2025
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Then keep scrolling to shop more of the best pieces hiding in Pottery Barn’s outlet now.—
Maggie Horton,
PEOPLE,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Loomer started sneaking into her fund-raisers.—
Antonia Hitchens,
New Yorker,
10 Nov. 2025
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The shoe’s hook-and-loop closure is another standout feature that keeps feet securely in place and prevents cold air from sneaking in.—
Melony Forcier,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The defining image of this exact fixture back in February was Szoboszlai lying face-down on the pitch at full time of Liverpool’s 2-0 away win, utterly spent.—
Andy Jones,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
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But in 1991, federal agents charged him with lying and continuing to traffic drugs.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Skulking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skulking. Accessed 26 Nov. 2025.
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