sleeking

verb

present participle of sleek
as in smoothing

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sleeking
  1. smoothing
  2. slicking
  3. shining
  4. polishing
  5. rubbing
  6. glossing
  7. burnishing
  8. coating
Verb
  • There are some great deals on leave-in conditioner and hair masks, too, like this smoothing formula from L’Oréal Paris, plus strand-thickening formulas that can help add density and control shedding in thinning areas.
    — Alanna Martine Kilkeary, Glamour, 7 Oct. 2026
  • When styling this haircut, use a smoothing serum or oil, which will come in handy after the hair is dry.
    — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of smoothing
Verb
  • Rather than slicking the head in hair gel, Magallones purposefully keeps the product use to a minimum, allowing for natural curls to come through on top of the head.
    — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Down the historic hall, hair artist Cyndia Harvey is busy wrapping low ponytails and slicking buns to support the vision.
    — Arden Fanning Andrews, Vogue, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of slicking
Verb
  • This selection in the Best International Feature category has the potential to be truly transformative for the film, opening doors to audiences around the world while shining a spotlight on Pegah’s extraordinary talent and her vital voice.
    — Brent Lang, IndieWire, 10 Oct. 2026
  • The album explores heartbreak, healing, faith and survival while shining a light on some of the most painful chapters of Judd's life, including her complicated relationship with her late mother Naomi Judd and Kelley's struggles.
    — Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of shining
Verb
  • There may have been a time when hosting a holiday dinner meant pulling out every platter, polishing the silver, and making sure there were enough wine glasses for a small army.
    — Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The Duchess of Edinburgh even got hands-on experience shaping and polishing a quartz gemstone.
    — Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of polishing
Verb
  • Some of these practices have been reported on before, such as rubbing deodorant against colored pages from magazines to make eye shadow.
    — Elizabeth Gulino, Allure, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The bigger claim making the rounds, that a few minutes of face rubbing can quiet your body’s stress response, is where dermatologists urge a little caution.
    — Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of rubbing
Verb
  • The easy-to-use glossing treatment, which should be applied to damp hair and followed by a blow dryer to activate the frizz-fighting alpha acids, is a semi-permanent smoothing spray that basically creates a water-resistant shield to prevent flyaways—even in the most humid of places.
    — Eva Thomas, InStyle, 9 Apr. 2026
  • Critchley, glossing Julian of Norwich, draws a distinction between seeing and seeing through creation, but this is a false dichotomy.
    — Christian Wiman, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Definition of glossing
Verb
  • China has also entered the fray, with more of an eye to burnishing its image rather than undermining local politics.
    — the Monitor's Editorial Board, Christian Science Monitor, 6 Oct. 2026
  • And at a moment when the US is antagonizing allies and has yet to find a way to end its war on Iran that’s destabilizing the global economy, Xi has been burnishing China’s image as a responsible and dependable global leader.
    — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of burnishing
Verb
  • Electron beams replace ovens Ateios says the process enables coating speeds of 30 meters per minute across a 300-millimeter-wide web.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Locals and government officials were clearing debris and shoveling thick mud coating much of the town.
    — Eugene Garcia, Chicago Tribune, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of coating
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.

Browse Nearby Words

sleeked
sleeking
sleeks
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sleeking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sleeking. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 16
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All