as in lurking
to move about in a sly or secret manner
like a thief slinking about in the middle of the night
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Recent Examples of slinking
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
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
On the final stretch into the town, fruit sellers latched onto the sides, vendors perched in the doorways, and school kids rode a few meters before slipping down and slinking off towards their homes.
—Monisha Rajesh, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2024
David John Chávez, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026
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
On the final stretch into the town, fruit sellers latched onto the sides, vendors perched in the doorways, and school kids rode a few meters before slipping down and slinking off towards their homes.
—Monisha Rajesh, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slinking
Verb
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Yet, lurking on social media, the appointment unleashed the all-too-familiar torrent of hate, sexism and misogyny.—
Sebastian Shukla,
CNN Money,
23 Apr. 2026
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For the first time in decades, the captains abandon familiar fishing grounds to chase a rare breed of Red King Crab lurking in the frozen waters of the far North.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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After the Combine, there was talk about going high in the second round or sneaking into the bottom of the first.—
Kirk Kenney,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
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And a thick hedgerow is no deterrent to foxes sneaking in to snatch small lambs.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Before slipping into silence in the mid-’90s, Souled American had morphed from rootsy alt-country band to adding ambient shades and slowcore to their music.—
David Harris,
SPIN,
21 Apr. 2026
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Where to Stay In Militello, staying overnight is about slipping into the fabric of the town.—
Erica Firpo,
Travel + Leisure,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Things got just a bit chippy in the top of the sixth when Webb fired a four-seam fastball into the ribs of Dalton Rushing, who many speculated had made a disparaging comment at Jung Hoo Lee during Tuesday’s game when the Giants outfielder was hurt sliding home.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
23 Apr. 2026
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Floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors open from the bedroom onto a private deck for morning yoga or simply lounging on rocking chairs, and from the living area to a smaller one to enjoy your evening tea on.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Slinking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slinking. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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