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
  • The most profitable service targets authors lurking outside the notoriously gatekept realm of traditional publishing.
    — Snigdha Poonam, The Dial, 13 Oct. 2026
  • However, the modern versions that are packed with high explosives and sit lurking under the dirt to blow up unwary vehicles or pedestrians are much nastier affairs.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of lurking
Verb
  • The third suspect acknowledged receiving the paintings at his home and hiding them behind a wall built beneath a staircase after the theft.
    — SYLVIE CORBET, Arkansas Online, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The series brings 10 strangers together in an institutional setting for seven days, with each person trying to guess the true occupations of the others while hiding their own identities.
    — Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of hiding
Verb
  • At 15, Mariana de Miguel was already sneaking into Mexico City’s nightlife with a fake ID, saving money to see the bands that shaped her imagination.
    — Isabela Raygoza, Billboard, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Imagine sneaking into a math library and combing through every mathematical text ever written.
    — Lyndie Chiou, Scientific American, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of sneaking
Verb
  • As for the lows, sweater weather will officially arrive for Charlotte, with lows near 40 degrees this weekend, and a chance for patchy frost for out-lying areas, forecasters say.
    — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The fight was now about accusations of lying, whether the item was for sale, and what actually happened in the store.
    — Bilin Lin, Fortune, 13 Oct. 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 16 Oct. 2026.

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