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
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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The hackers also stole information about diplomatic issues, lurking undetected in some systems for months.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Federal authorities said the man lurking behind the cyclone fence was Routh.—
Claire Heddles,
Miami Herald,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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When washed with ethanol, the hydrogel appeared transparent, hiding the image entirely.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Feb. 2026
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Wild forward Nico Sturm has been breaking in his Team Germany skates at a few Minnesota practices, and joked about hiding his on-ice moves from NHL teammates that may be foes in Italy.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
5 Feb. 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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Where strengths are lying, interests can’t help but lie, too.—
Talia Argondezzi,
New Yorker,
3 Feb. 2026
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Before first responders arrived to address the fire, Johnson's mother found her daughter lying unconscious on her bed with bruising on her arms, the side of her neck and face, and blood coming from her nose.—
Steven Martinez,
jsonline.com,
3 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Skulking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skulking. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
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