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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sneaky
That’s a sneaky way to keep 49ers fans out of SoFi Stadium.
—
Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 6 Feb. 2026
Kids will meet Peter, the duck, the cat, the bird and the sneaky wolf, while also learning how music can tell a story without words.
—Caroline Ritzie, Cincinnati Enquirer, 1 Feb. 2026
Some of these bars once held historical figures; others were sneaky speakeasys of the prohibition era.
—Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 30 Jan. 2026
The Miami Heat has built a sneaky-good roster infused with promising youth.
—Greg Cote
january 30, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sneaky
Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 6 Feb. 2026
Kids will meet Peter, the duck, the cat, the bird and the sneaky wolf, while also learning how music can tell a story without words.
—Caroline Ritzie, Cincinnati Enquirer, 1 Feb. 2026
Some of these bars once held historical figures; others were sneaky speakeasys of the prohibition era.
—Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 30 Jan. 2026
The Miami Heat has built a sneaky-good roster infused with promising youth.
—Greg Cote
january 30, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sneaky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sneaky
Adjective
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Also, Wasserman in recent weeks assured individuals at his company and LA28, that besides the 2002 humanitarian trip with Epstein, there was nothing more to come from his involvement with the shady financier and his procurer Maxwell.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
11 Feb. 2026
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Some turned to a shady, largely unregulated corner of the financial world.—
Scott Horsley,
NPR,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Get Ready: Katy Perry Has Released a Sneak Peek of Her New Song And the internet has receipts.—
Mehera Bonner,
Marie Claire,
15 Mar. 2017
Adjective
-
Through this sly trick, where doorknobs rise to noses and walls tower high above the hairline, Argento sketches a vision of witchy terror akin to early works of German surrealism.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Jan. 2026
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As wonderful as Wilde is in what’s easily one of her best roles, the equally fearless Hoffman matches her every step of the way, with sly comic timing and poignant vulnerability as Elliot wrestles with anger, humiliation and confusion over what could be lust or love, in spite of everything.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Ortiz said Rodríguez Torres went further by overseeing the creation of clandestine detention facilities.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Yes, its signage and entryway are on the clandestine side.—
Josh Miller,
Southern Living,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The showrunner of the Angeles National Forest isn’t a 500-pound black bear or a stealthy mountain lion.—
Lila Seidman,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
-
The attack is stealthy and persistent.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The No Secret Police Act banned local law enforcement officers, officers from other states and federal law enforcement personnel from wearing masks except in specific circumstances — such as in tactical, SWAT or undercover operations.—
Kevin Rector,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
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The law, Senate Bill 627, had prohibited local and federal ICE officers from wearing masks except for undercover work or health reasons.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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This covert expansion of sports betting is controversial.—
Jacob Stern,
The Atlantic,
5 Feb. 2026
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The company says they can also be used for covert operations, intelligence, reconnaissance, and surveillance operations.—
Brian Sherrod,
CBS News,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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These caverns under sidewalks could be used for storage, and circular pieces of thick glass in the sidewalk added natural light to these eerie underground chambers.—
Jacques Kelly,
Baltimore Sun,
7 Feb. 2026
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The latter houses the cryogenically frozen employees of Vault-Tec, a corporation that made a lot of money out of underground bunkers before the Great War.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sneaky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sneaky. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
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