1
as in shady
given to acting in secret and to concealing one's intentions
his opponent's sneaky campaign manager was clearly up to something
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sneak
undertaken or done so as to escape being observed or known by others
a sneaky plan to replace the priceless painting with a copy
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sneaky
At age 17, Brown learned the truth, thanks to Barr’s fame — and, allegedly, a sneaky ex-boyfriend, the comedian recalled to Bunnie.
—
Bailey Richards, People.com, 24 June 2025
Here are a few sneaky red flags to look out for, according to experts.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 19 June 2025
Aside from that, the Bengals could be a sneaky play in week one.
—Steve Bradshaw, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
The sneaky Sheltie disappeared from the sitter in the March 7 video.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for sneaky
Bailey Richards, People.com, 24 June 2025
Here are a few sneaky red flags to look out for, according to experts.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 19 June 2025
Aside from that, the Bengals could be a sneaky play in week one.
—Steve Bradshaw, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
The sneaky Sheltie disappeared from the sitter in the March 7 video.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for sneaky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sneaky
Adjective
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One of them is Martin Krebs (Rupert Friend), a shady pharmaceuticals bigwig who wants to develop the world’s most effective heart medication using dinosaur blood samples.—
Tom Gliatto,
People.com,
30 June 2025
-
Old-school bedding impatiens will bloom continuously in a shady spot.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
29 June 2025
Adjective
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Demonstrating a talent for working in fluent french peppered with a british accent, the actor delivers one of his most indelible acting turns as the sly, wry, and wise business mogul-turned- butler who finds new purpose in life working on the other side of the fence.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
3 July 2025
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The sly twist from humility to confidence — all delivered with a not self-aware nonchalant shrug to the crowd — drives home how much more powerful the song is, in every case, than its writer or performer.—
Marcus K. Dowling,
The Tennessean,
2 July 2025
Adjective
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After paying private equity tycoon Jack McGinley $52 million in a clandestine off-market deal for the Georgian-style spread, which was designed by architect Don Nulty and built in 2009 for 9-1-1: Lone Star actor Rob Lowe, Levine and Prinsloo have put the place back on the market for $65 million.—
Wendy Bowman,
Robb Report,
10 July 2025
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Built to listen for clandestine nuclear bomb blasts, the globe-spanning system detects low-frequency acoustic-gravity waves.—
Deni Ellis Béchard,
Scientific American,
9 July 2025
Adjective
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Such sadness is the stealthy undercurrent of Lunch Dances.—
Brian Schaefer
July 7,
Literary Hub,
7 July 2025
-
Israel doesn’t have any heavy bombers, stealthy or otherwise, capable of carrying such gigantic bombs.—
Paul Iddon,
Forbes.com,
4 July 2025
Adjective
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Watch a sneak peek below, then read on for more: Go undercover and solve local mysteries with Christmas shop owner Emily Lane!—
Matt Webb Mitovich,
TVLine,
7 July 2025
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The guy who was in charge of buying apparently used a fake persona; this was very undercover, this is all happening secretly.—
Peter Balonon-Rosen,
Vox,
4 July 2025
Adjective
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Now, after Operation Midnight Hammer, arguably one of the most perfect covert military operations in U.S. history, who could argue? Even Trump’s most ardent critics had to give him credit.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
28 June 2025
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This deliberately allusive narrative style enables the author to elude the topic of Nazism—or at least to hint at it in a covert way, thus making the novel acceptable to a wide German audience at the time of its publication in 1968.—
Ombline Damy,
JSTOR Daily,
26 June 2025
Adjective
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As originally proposed, the CTA Super Loop running west from North and Clybourn would have merely grazed Lincoln Yards with an underground station at the far southwestern corner of the tract, North and Elston.—
F.K. Plous,
Chicago Tribune,
11 July 2025
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There are several places to park for Scottsdale Canal Convergence: Scottsdale Waterfront underground parking garage, 7135 E. Camelback Road.—
Meredith G. White,
AZCentral.com,
10 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sneaky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sneaky. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.
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