slinking

verb

present participle of slink
as in lurking
to move about in a sly or secret manner like a thief slinking about in the middle of the night

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 slinking Video posted to social media shows a man slinking behind In-N-Out signs and shrubs, seeking out the source of the gunfire. — Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 2 Aug. 2026 Just running around wearing cloaks, slinking into and out of castles, slicing the throats of all who cross her. — Brian Grubb, Vulture, 27 July 2026 At night, guard dogs and surveillance teams monitor the grounds year-round, because catastrophe at Wimbledon comes in the form of a two-foot-long fox slinking onto a court and marking its territory. — Nick Pachelli, Time, 11 July 2026 Once the performers appear, slinking in from the sides of the stage, the show firmly takes shape and eases smoothly from one episode from the Gospels to the next. — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 3 May 2026 In the official teaser, Lowen is slinking around the Crawford family house wearing a silk robe while Verity is fast asleep in bed. — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 27 Apr. 2026 Psarras spends the majority of his time slinking through space, scanning the highly detailed living room of opulence for the next steps of Tony’s grisly plan (the varied set design, which includes some ingenious touches with translucent walls, is by Ron Gasparinetti) . — David John Chávez, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026 Either way, Invisigal is in the room listening to her friends debate her fate, noticeably slinking out as the door seemingly opens on its own. — Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 13 Nov. 2025 When infertility came for me, my response was to pursue pregnancy with an ever-narrowing focus, incrementally eliminating everything else in my life—quitting my job, slinking away from friendships, disappearing from the wider world. — Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slinking
  1. lurking
  2. sneaking
  3. slipping
  4. sliding
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
  • 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
  • But a few months later, at her 18-month appointment, the standard graph that plotted a child’s weight against their age showed her weight slipping off the curve.
    — Raj Panjabi, Time, 13 Oct. 2026
  • If one hook isn’t enough to keep the bag from slipping, place another one on the opposite side.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of slipping
Verb
  • With primary colors and winter gear Wondering how to avoid sliding across the sidewalk or catching a cold and still stay fashionable in extreme weather conditions?
    — Catie Pusateri, Glamour, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The rooms Every single one of the 75 rooms is ocean-facing, with floor to ceiling sliding glass doors framing the view, and leading to private terraces perched above the mangroves.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of sliding

Browse Nearby Words

slink
slinking
slinks
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Cite this Entry

“Slinking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slinking. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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