skulks 1 of 2

Definition of skulksnext
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skulks
Noun
  • There were sneaks stateside on Saturday which will be rolled into Thursday previews which start at 2PM.
    Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 4 Mar. 2026
  • Ax’s piano sneaks in as a junior partner, politely turning over its concerto to a colleague.
    Justin Davidson, Vulture, 3 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Pollan is understandably chary about the potential romanticism that lurks behind his conclusions.
    Charles Finch, The Atlantic, 24 Feb. 2026
  • In the American pop-culture feedback loop, at the football-movie intersection between sports and cinema and how the two inform and reflect each other, lurks a line delivery that lasts only a couple of seconds.
    Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 11 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Its sleek, portable design hides neatly behind your TV without blocking neighboring HDMI ports.
    Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 6 Mar. 2026
  • As the skin matures, pores become larger, but Laura Mercier’s Flawless Fusion Ulta-Longwear Concealer effectively hides them.
    Taryn Brooke, Glamour, 6 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Like other types of wildlife, such as raccoons, opossums, and skunks, coyotes love an easy meal and will quickly learn where to find one, says Owen.
    Arricca Elin SanSone, Southern Living, 9 Mar. 2026
  • Owens has spotted coyotes, crayfish, snakes, bats, foxes, skunks and a wide array of butterflies and moths on her daily walks through the forest.
    Jenna Ebbers, Kansas City Star, 6 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Ponta do Ouro, Mozambique The small coastal village of Ponta do Ouro lies near the southern border of Mozambique.
    Melanie van Zyl, Travel + Leisure, 6 Mar. 2026
  • Just to the left of Trouvelot lies another large basin that appears even older and more heavily eroded, with its rim almost completely worn away.
    Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 6 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Nike consistently hooks up the University of Oregon‘s athletic programs with exclusive sneakers because of their longstanding relationship, and the newest spoils to emerge come via Nike’s most futuristic new basketball sneaker.
    Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 9 Mar. 2026
  • For his part, Styles wore a navy Prada zip-up jacket with straight-leg jeans, Adidas Sambas sneakers (his go-to recently), and a white pair of clout goggle shades.
    Christian Allaire, Vogue, 9 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • 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
  • Each team has to drag three giant snakes through a bunch of obstacles and then get a ball through a snake maze to win immunity.
    Brian Moylan, Vulture, 5 Mar. 2026
  • There are crocodiles, birds by the thousands, snakes, turtles, and many kinds of mammals.
    Delbert L. Chears, Outdoor Life, 5 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Skulks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skulks. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.

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