skulks 1 of 2

plural of skulk
as in sneaks
someone who acts in a sly and secret manner were surprised to discover the skulk stealing from the garden was a raccoon

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skulks

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of skulk
1
as in lurks
to move about in a sly or secret manner I thought I saw someone skulking about in the shadows

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2
as in hides
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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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 skulks
Noun
Frank discovers Lee’s meddling and skulks into Arthur’s apartment and murders him. Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2025 Despite a restraining order against her, Lisa skulks around the twins’ school at drop-off and stalks them in the grocery store. Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
With Irene threatening Billie, Joe skulks back to his cement cell, but hears Irene torturing Billie in the next room. Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skulks
Noun
  • This combination of music and entertainment sneaks education in where kids least expect it.
    Parents, Parents, 10 July 2026
  • In this case, a creator pairs her sneaks with a graphic tee.
    Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 16 June 2026
Verb
  • Two people in Florida and five in Louisiana have died from vibrio vulnificus, which lurks in warm coastal waters and can enter the body through open wounds or from eating raw shellfish.
    Mark Strassmann, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026
  • But amid the crooning local singers and walks down memory lane, trouble lurks.
    Ben Travers, IndieWire, 29 July 2026
Verb
  • When an airless body, such as an asteroid, occults (or hides) a background star the star's light winks out in an instant, before suddenly reappearing.
    Keith Cooper, Space.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The Starlink antenna has been built directly into the vehicle’s rear and occupies a rectangular compartment that hides the dish’s signature design.
    Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 10 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Although there are various ways to deal with skunks, one common product people often turn to is Pine-Sol.
    The Spruce, The Spruce, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Rabies is more common in bats and skunks, who occasionally transfer the deadly infection to pets.
    Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 31 July 2026
Verb
  • Billy’s experience having sex for the first time lies somewhere on the spectrum between traumatic and disappointing.
    Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026
  • This, at its core, is where the charm of Copenhagen Fashion Week lies.
    Kelsey Stewart, InStyle, 7 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Stewart stayed strong on her go-to outfit formula in a black Dickies jacket, vintage tee, silk shorts, and Converse high-top sneakers, with the bomber jacket also featuring a red pocket accent.
    Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 13 Aug. 2026
  • By 2004, Michael, Magic and Bird had officially hung up their sneakers, and the NBA was failing during its critical crossroads.
    Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • There are leaders, lurkers, peacekeepers, instigators, and the person who only surfaces to drop an occasional thumbs-up.
    Sam Reed, Glamour, 18 May 2026
  • The Cubs and Padres are well clear of any lurkers for the top two spots, but the Mets have the last ticket in for now, with San Francisco, Arizona and Cincinnati all within 2 1/2 games of them.
    Chris Branch, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • There’s Tom Crutchfield, who loves women with the ardor of Pepé Le Pew but spends most of his time not in pursuit of the ladies but of exotic snakes, lizards, alligators, turtles and whatnot.
    Matthew Carey, Deadline, 8 Aug. 2026
  • The snakes are also some of the largest in the world, and are often measured at about six to nine feet in length.
    Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 7 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Skulks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skulks. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

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