SNEAKY Synonyms: 100 Similar and Opposite Words

sneaky

adjective

ˈsnē-kē

Definition of sneaky

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 sneaky The Trasks encounter a wide swath of citizens, haggling with sneaky cheats, exploiting innocent fools, and befriending big-hearted neighbors. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 1 Oct. 2026 Finding those sneaky lineup plays could make all the difference. — Jonathan Rubin, Charlotte Observer, 30 Sep. 2026 The Beast in Me now joins a celebrated cohort of series with this same sneaky nonsense buried in their glowing track records, including Downton Abbey, Big Little Lies, and The White Lotus. — Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026 Fall is finally here — and the must-have shoe brand for cold weather is celebrating with a sneaky sale. — Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sneaky

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sneaky

Adjective

Many shady electronics companies are happy to sell you the wrong component for the wrong price.

— Tim Stevens, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 2026
The fake image was attention-grabbing, shady, and timely — in other words, perfect for social media virality but a potential liability for the parties involved.

— Mia Sato, The Verge, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of shady

Adjective

The arrest, the official explained, came after the Attorney General’s Office concluded that there had been misconduct in an April operation in which state officials dismantled a clandestine drug-manufacturing laboratory.

— Mauricio Torres, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2026
Bridgers’ tour restricts phones, so the reader’s account had to stand in for the clandestine photo that might otherwise have accompanied the sighting.

— Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of clandestine

Adjective

But Sinestro is a sly, slippery foe and is never to be trusted!

— Jeff Spry, Space.com, 17 Oct. 2026
The movie offered a sly critique of Korea’s rapid urbanization, and introduced the wayward types (bar girls, severely disabled men) that would populate all of Lee’s films.

— E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of sly

Adjective

But his father, also named William, became a supporter — and even went undercover of sorts at her 2021 fraud trial.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
The federal indictment identifies instructions directing undercover Cuban spies not to fly with Brothers to the Rescue around the time of the attack.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of undercover

Adjective

Stephenson’s storytelling finesse – clever reveals, discursive side quests, stealthy plot twists – shines in this robust tale of British journalist Owen and his globe-spanning search for a missing English earl in 1934.

— Monitor reviewers, Christian Science Monitor, 19 Oct. 2026
To build a stealthy ocean-monitoring platform for the Office of Naval Research, Professor Shepherd needed a propulsion system that would not startle marine life.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of stealthy

Adjective

But how and through whom the money flowed into the Alpha account revealed that it was intended to remain secret, more akin to a covert and illicit scheme, given that it was managed in part by a senior advisor to the president of the United States.

— Matthew Cole, Vanity Fair, 22 Oct. 2026
Even in scenes outside Sonny’s perspective, Ellen still looks like not-quite-Connie Britton, fielding suspicious phone calls and making covert trips to the bank.

— Alison Herman, Variety, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of covert

Adjective

The Finnish Government has granted Posiva Oy an operating license for the world’s first permanent underground repository for spent nuclear fuel.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026
Part of what a racist superstructure creates is the need for some kind of underground economy.

— Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of underground

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

Definition of sneaking

Browse Nearby Words

sneak up

sneaky

sneer

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Sneaky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sneaky. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of sneaky

adjective

Example Sentences

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