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
Relevance
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
And Taylor telegraphs this through every beguiling movement, sometimes slinking, other times exuding braggadocio.
—
Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 24 Nov. 2025
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
The women wear stunning fashion numbers, Sebastian’s wife Dineo Price slinking down a staircase in a cleavage revealing skimpy number in its opening minutes.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 13 Oct. 2025
With the same playfulness of her makeup, Woods slicked the body of her hair in a bun on top of her head; her caramel-colored curled ends slinking around.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 16 Sep. 2025
Now summer is slinking off and autumn is rushing in, cool and a little wistful.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 24 Nov. 2025
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
The women wear stunning fashion numbers, Sebastian’s wife Dineo Price slinking down a staircase in a cleavage revealing skimpy number in its opening minutes.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 13 Oct. 2025
With the same playfulness of her makeup, Woods slicked the body of her hair in a bun on top of her head; her caramel-colored curled ends slinking around.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 16 Sep. 2025
Now summer is slinking off and autumn is rushing in, cool and a little wistful.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slinking
Verb
-
For Mitchell, the key was subtly introducing clues into the environment that hinted at the darkness lurking beneath the surface.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
28 Jan. 2026
-
But because of the below-freezing temperatures, there may still be patches of ice lurking.—
Morayo Ogunbayo,
AJC.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
That feature has since been covered over with concrete, so don’t get any funny ideas about sneaking into the palace after hours.—
Tori Latham,
Robb Report,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Of course, after a while the thrill of getting caught fades, and sneaking around becomes deeply sad rather than sexy.—
Sam Reed,
Glamour,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The insoles mold comfortably to your foot, and the rubber outsoles keep slipping and sliding at bay.—
Annie Blackman,
InStyle,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Plus, this 100-piece velvet set prevents tops from slipping off.—
Rachel Trujillo,
PEOPLE,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The defender remained upfield after a corner kick, sliding into position inside the 6-yard box to bang home a cross from Emma Sears with her left foot.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
29 Jan. 2026
-
After receiving no response from inside the home, the SWAT team deployed a smaller armored vehicle known as a Rook to break down a side fence and enter the home through a sliding glass door.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Slinking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slinking. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
