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

Isaiah’s aunt, Charlene, said in court this week that her 8-year-old nephew was mischievous, often sneaking food in the middle of the night. — Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026

Auburn’s slate was more difficult, sneaking by Baylor (and former Gators quarterback DJ Lagway) 17-16 in Week 1 before leveling Southern Miss 43-8 last Saturday. — Noah White, Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2026

Apart from sneaking in a dip in the large heated pool, guests can participate in stand-up paddle boarding, water skiing, boating and tennis. — Beth Landman, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026

Rather than trade Ohtani for Caminero, who has blossomed into a two-time All-Star at 23, the team added at the deadline in hopes of sneaking into the wild-card race. — Andy McCullough, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026

Why else would Coach Ricky (Perry Mattfeld) be sneaking over to the QB’s house? — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 3 Sep. 2026

Americans have long harbored a sneaking admiration for people who buck the system, who get to make their own rules instead of having rules imposed on them. — Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2026

Energy shock pushes up inflation Workarounds – including sneaking oil tankers out of the Persian Gulf and China slashing its oil imports – have limited the damage. — Matt Egan, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2026

Police are investigating a rash of incidents involving people sneaking out of sewers. — Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026