sneaks 1 of 2

present tense third-person singular of sneak
1
as in lurks
to move about in a sly or secret manner the little kids sneak around upstairs when they're supposed to be in bed

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2
as in infiltrates
to introduce in a gradual, secret, or clever way sneak the topic into the conversation any way you can

Synonyms & Similar Words

sneaks

2 of 2

noun

plural of sneak
as in sneakers
someone who acts in a sly and secret manner "Why, you little sneak," the mother exclaimed, "you made my birthday present right under my nose!"

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 sneaks
Verb
Owen Wilson plays an overprotective dad who sneaks his 13-year-old son (Christian Convery) into the festival. — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 2 Oct. 2026 The titular bed trick refers to the literary device, beloved by Shakespeare and by opera buffa, in which a lover sneaks into a bed and, under cover of darkness, is taken for someone else. — S. C. Cornell, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2026 Every round, the players put on googly-eyed glasses that obscure their vision while Sam sneaks over to tap a Spy, who removes their glasses so Sam can point out which object fits the prompt. — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2026 Manual friction sneaks in as systems fail to scale with growth or suffer from poor implementation. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026 Caminos, who is on a different floor, sneaks around on foot to try and evade detection. — Jay Peters, The Verge, 27 Aug. 2026 The target hides in a food truck, gets on another plane, flies to England, hides on another food truck and sneaks back on Air Force One. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 14 Aug. 2026 The film cannily tugs on the heartstrings, pulls off classic slapstick comedy and sneaks obscure film references into its visuals. — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026 While the hilarity quotient is high, Chinn also sneaks in observant commentary on class, race, and gender—and the chemistry among the four leads is absolutely off the charts. — Judy Berman, Time, 11 Aug. 2026
Noun
Available in several pastel hues and patterns, these high-vamp canvas sneaks look ultracomfy and flattering. — Cheryl Wagemann, InStyle, 25 Sep. 2026 Sinatra and Dean Martin croon softly on the speakers (until the occasional Charli xcx track sneaks in). — Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 25 Sep. 2026 The Dolphins seldom ran sneaks with Tua Tagovailoa because of his limited size and history of concussions and other injuries. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 22 Sep. 2026 The Giants ran a modified version of the tush push, with 300-pound fullback Pat Ricard motioning behind Dart to help the quarterback surge forward on his sneaks. — Dan Duggan, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026 This combination of music and entertainment sneaks education in where kids least expect it. — Parents, 10 July 2026 These sneaks utilize the latest running innovations to ensure your kicks improve performance while still looking stylish. — Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 22 Apr. 2026 Wear them to work with a pair of cute loafers and a spring blouse, or dress them down with a tee and your favorite sneaks for a comfy-casual look. — Madeline Merinuk, PEOPLE, 3 Apr. 2026 Fields also ran eight QB sneaks in 2025 — a play absent from the Chiefs playbook since Mahomes dislocated his kneecap on a sneak in 2019 — and converted seven of them. — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 17 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sneaks
Verb
  • The Spurs superstar lurks down low near the basket, allowing guards to pressure aggressively on the perimeter.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Clements sets the scene with lively pop music and excellent period-specific costuming, though darkness lurks beneath the funky 1970s groove.
    — Marya E. Gates, IndieWire, 13 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • After seeing his love die and discovering the truth about his existence, Darrow infiltrates the Gold society with an aim to bring it down.
    — Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The show, which stars Jessica Chastain as an investigator who infiltrates online hate groups to prevent incidents of mad violence.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 20 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Rivals are winning over the same shoppers Converse sits in a tricky spot in the shoe market between casual footwear, fashion sneakers, and lifestyle shoes.
    — Phil Wahba, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
  • She was last seen wearing black leggings, a light gray pullover and white sneakers.
    — Meghan O'Brien, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Steffi Oesterreich, a lobular breast cancer researcher at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center in Pittsburgh who was not involved in Peet’s care, said the disease often slips past imaging.
    — Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 14 Oct. 2026
  • That front eventually slips south of the region Wednesday night, allowing cooler and drier air to move in Thursday.
    — Grant Gilmore, CBS News, 12 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • MomTok got Taylor on the plane and off to star in The Bachelorette, but not before Dakota worms his way in one last time.
    — Joe Reid, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2026
  • Guiteau eventually worms his way into an audience, ostensibly seeking an ambassadorship for his dubious contributions to the campaign but, in reality, requesting a path to greatness.
    — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 11 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Officials say the last animal confirmed to have rabies that wasn’t a bat was a skunk infected with the bat strain of rabies in Long Beach in 2014.
    — Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
  • And coyotes regulate populations of mesocarnivores like skunks and raccoons, helping support the survival of ground-nesting birds.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The friction causes an electrical shock that burns Clancy, and Lisa steals his keys.
    — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Anyone who steals taxpayer money should be investigated, prosecuted, and held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.
    — WCCO Staff, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Instead of putting bourbon into a new set of barrels, the distillery inserts 10 virgin French oak staves that have been seared into cask-strength Maker’s, and lets the whiskey age for a little more than two months in its cool limestone cellars.
    — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 11 Oct. 2026
  • When introduced into another cell, the gene produces a protein that inserts into the cell membrane.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Sneaks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sneaks. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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