skulking

verb

present participle of skulk
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

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 skulking Mars spends most of the month in Cancer, skulking defensively through your 12th house. — Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Aug. 2026 In the aforementioned Sylvia, Gwyneth Paltrow stares moodily into the void or shrieks at Daniel Craig’s skulking Hughes for coming home late. — Literary Hub, 1 July 2026 Post-Order 66 Jedi are often just lesser versions of Obi-Wan Kenobi or Yoda, skulking around in swamps and deserts, but this duo can't seem to stay away from the action. — Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 6 Apr. 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 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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skulking
  1. lurking
  2. hiding
  3. sneaking
  4. lying
Verb
  • However, the Broncos’ next opponent is lurking right behind them.
    — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Investors want to see both OpenAI and Anthropic get their financial houses in order, with initial public offerings (IPOs) lurking later this year or in early 2027.
    — Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of lurking
Verb
  • However, researchers found that more than 15,000 of those edits had been made by AI agents that used the pages to share various tactics and tips for cheating, hacking, and hiding their behavior from human monitors.
    — Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2026
  • On rainy days when the sun is hiding and the temperatures are cool, consider these your emotional support pants.
    — Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of hiding
Verb
  • The new quarterback Mensah with a short completion that Toney turns into a 48-yard play, bouncing up from the tackle and sneaking in a quick little Heisman pose for good measure.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Rather than trade Ohtani for Caminero, who has blossomed into a two-time All-Star at 23, the team added at the deadline in hopes of sneaking into the wild-card race.
    — Andy McCullough, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of sneaking
Verb
  • Vucic, who is not attending the funeral, previously has accused Kos of lying.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Back in Georgia, Brown is also facing a misdemeanor obstruction charge in Paulding County for lying and hindering an investigation, Paulding County Sheriff Ashley Henson told CNN affiliate WSB.
    — Avni Trivedi, CNN Money, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of lying

Browse Nearby Words

skulkers
skulking
skulks
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Cite this Entry

“Skulking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skulking. Accessed 9 Sep. 2026.

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