Synonyms of sneaking

sneaking 1 of 2

adjective

ˈsnē-kiŋ 

1

as in shady

given to acting in secret and to concealing one's intentions

never let one of those sneaking salespeople into your house

Synonyms & Similar Words

• shady
• sneaky
• cheating
• furtive
• stealthy
• sly
• shifty
• dark
• clandestine
• slippery
• close
• crooked
• cunning
• lying
• slick
• deceptive
• treacherous
• covert
• secretive
• crafty
• wily
• dishonest
• devious
• artful
• deceiving
• foxy
• tricky
• underhanded
• reticent
• duplicitous
• deceitful
• underhand
• insidious
• guileful
• perfidious
• closemouthed
• untrustworthy
• defrauding
• trickish
• serpentine
• dissembling
• mendacious
• untruthful
• knavish
• double-dealing
• two-faced

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• open
• direct
• forthright
• straightforward
• plain
• frank
• candid
• aboveboard
• honest
• plainspoken
• truthful
• trustworthy
• foursquare

2

as in sneak

undertaken or done so as to escape being observed or known by others

harbored a sneaking admiration for his chief business rival

Synonyms & Similar Words

• sneak
• clandestine
• undercover
• covert
• underground
• private
• stealth
• surreptitious
• sneaky
• secret
• furtive
• stealthy
• underhanded
• behind-the-scenes
• underhand
• privy
• backstairs
• undisclosed
• hole-and-corner
• hidden
• hush-hush
• hugger-mugger
• confidential
• secreted
• restricted
• closed-door
• off-the-books
• classified
• off-the-record
• concealed
• top secret
• back-channel
• subterranean
• unexposed
• unadvertised

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• overt
• open
• public
• avowed
• acknowledged
• straightforward
• evident
• obvious
• unrestricted
• undisguised
• clear
• unconcealed
• unclassified
• plain
• manifest
• aboveboard
• patent

3

as in lame

arousing or deserving of one's loathing and disgust

a sneaking two-timer who has completely lost his wife's trust

Synonyms & Similar Words

• lame
• dirty
• cheap
• pitiful
• nasty
• mean
• wretched
• disgusting
• hateful
• sorry
• grubby
• vile
• scurvy
• deplorable
• scabby
• lousy
• paltry
• despicable
• ratty
• contemptible
• scummy
• cruddy
• pitiable
• revolting
• shameful
• detestable
• odious
• loathsome
• base
• abominable
• repugnant
• abhorrent
• repulsive
• disgraceful
• disreputable
• reptilian
• sordid
• dishonorable
• shabby
• ignominious
• dastardly
• craven
• ignoble
• unscrupulous
• squalid
• discreditable
• low
• execrable
• cowardly
• condemnable
• unethical
• reprehensible
• unprincipled
• revulsive
• censurable
• reproachable
• blamable

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• creditable
• commendable
• laudable
• admirable
• praiseworthy
• scrupulous
• honest
• meritorious
• noble
• right
• upright
• good
• honorable
• principled
• reputable
• redoubtable
• moral
• ethical
• virtuous
• righteous
• high-minded
• right-minded

sneaking

2 of 2

verb

present participle of sneak

1

as in lurking

to move about in a sly or secret manner

the little kids sneak around upstairs when they're supposed to be in bed

Synonyms & Similar Words

• lurking
• slipping
• stealing
• sliding
• slinking
• skulking
• crawling
• creeping
• snaking
• tiptoeing
• shirking
• mooching
• mousing
• inching
• pussyfooting
• edging
• worming
• padding
• ghosting

2

as in infiltrating

to introduce in a gradual, secret, or clever way

sneak the topic into the conversation any way you can

Synonyms & Similar Words

• infiltrating
• inserting
• slipping
• winding
• introducing
• worming
• working in
• insinuating
• wriggling
• creeping
• wiggling
• edging
• interpolating
• interposing

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of sneaking

Adjective

Contributor Yelena Alpert has a sneaking suspicion that these Frette slippers will last a lifetime, attributing her hypothesis to the shoe’s superior quality. — Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 10 Mar. 2026

The package includes free breakfast for your plus-one (no more sneaking snacks away from the conference), a signature drink each night (perfect for unwinding after your workday ends), and 1,000 bonus IHG One Rewards points. — Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 23 Apr. 2025

Verb

Bus noise was a similar story, with the low engine rumble handled well and only some of the higher-frequency intermittent sounds sneaking through. — Christian De Looper, PC Magazine, 26 Oct. 2026

For a solid thirty minutes, the candidates defended their honor as the race’s most pro-Israel candidate — at times sneaking in jabs about their opponent. — Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026

But, the heartbreak would come sneaking around the bend over what might be the wildest 20 seconds of recent Big Ten memory, thanks to the insane final few minutes. — Trey Wallace Outkick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026

Kids made good accomplices, tasked with sneaking off on a hunt for the bill. — Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026

But don’t be sneaking just any old can of pumpkin into your cart. — Libby Monteith Minor, Southern Living, 14 Oct. 2026

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

The Chiefs placed Royals at tight end on the line, sneaking him across the back of the end zone on a drag route. — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2026