Synonym Chooser

How is the word stealthy distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of stealthy are clandestine, covert, furtive, secret, surreptitious, and underhanded. While all these words mean "done without attracting observation," stealthy suggests taking pains to avoid being seen or heard especially in some misdoing.

the stealthy step of a burglar

When is it sensible to use clandestine instead of stealthy?

The words clandestine and stealthy can be used in similar contexts, but clandestine implies secrecy usually for an evil, illicit, or unauthorized purpose and often emphasizes the fear of being discovered.

a clandestine meeting of conspirators

When might covert be a better fit than stealthy?

The meanings of covert and stealthy largely overlap; however, covert stresses the fact of not being open or declared.

covert intelligence operations

When could furtive be used to replace stealthy?

In some situations, the words furtive and stealthy are roughly equivalent. However, furtive implies a sly or cautious stealthiness.

lovers exchanging furtive glances

When can secret be used instead of stealthy?

Although the words secret and stealthy have much in common, secret implies concealment on any grounds for any motive.

met at a secret location

When is surreptitious a more appropriate choice than stealthy?

The synonyms surreptitious and stealthy are sometimes interchangeable, but surreptitious applies to action or behavior done secretly often with skillful avoidance of detection and in violation of custom, law, or authority.

the surreptitious stockpiling of weapons

When would underhanded be a good substitute for stealthy?

The words underhanded and stealthy are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, underhanded stresses fraud or deception.

an underhanded trick

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 stealthy On TikTok, viewers were quick to react to Winston's stealthy fail. Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 June 2025 Imagine the chaos a stealthy dragonfly modified to carry diseases, munitions, or surveillance equipment would cause. Carl R. Gold, Baltimore Sun, 8 June 2025 Ukraine's stealthy strike was carried out with small drones, hidden in trucks parked near several Russian air bases. Greg Myre, NPR, 7 June 2025 The hype began in March with the release of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, a game whose stealthy action mechanics perfectly fit the historical fantasy of becoming a ninja. Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 16 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for stealthy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stealthy
Adjective
  • In the back garden, for example, there’s a shady grove with hammocks and low seating that is one of the couple’s favorite places to enjoy quiet moments.
    Katia Contreras, Architectural Digest, 19 June 2025
  • Best Types of Hibiscus for Hummingbirds Hibiscus plants come in a range of options—from native perennials to tropical annuals—all of which attract hummingbirds and are suited for sunny to partly shady spaces, says Myers.
    Anne Readel, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 June 2025
Adjective
  • American veterans and others have traveled to smaller, clandestine clinics for treatment to deal with depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and addiction.
    Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 29 June 2025
  • Gi-hun, who’d found his way back in the clandestine gaming complex (situated inside a mountain on a remote island), is Player 456 again among a new round of contestants.
    Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2025
Adjective
  • Instead, studies suggest that, in practice, work and other eligibility requirements achieve a lot of savings in a sort of sneaky way.
    Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 26 June 2025
  • At age 17, Brown learned the truth, thanks to Barr’s fame — and, allegedly, a sneaky ex-boyfriend, the comedian recalled to Bunnie.
    Bailey Richards, People.com, 24 June 2025
Adjective
  • Mounting fear within the Jewish and Conservative communities of New York is that Mamdani’s furtive stance of justice for Palestine and divestment from Israel is stoking the flame of more virulent Anti-Semitism to come.
    Alexandra Bregman, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
  • The clip, which shows the dog giving its owner furtive side-eye while cautiously walking by captured the breed's endearing blend of innocence and mischief.
    Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025
Adjective
  • For every regime change at the hands of Americans that went well—think Adolf Hitler’s exit from Germany and Benito Mussolini from Italy—there are multitudes that went off the rails: six overt attempts during the Cold War and another 64 in covert operations.
    Philip Elliott, Time, 19 June 2025
  • The Whyte Python World Tour by Travis Kennedy The laughs are as big as the mullets in this rollicking story about a hugely successful hair-metal band that’s really a cover for a covert operation in Cold War-era Eastern Europe.
    Andrea Lavinthal, People.com, 18 June 2025
Adjective
  • In a moment of sly genius, Duke gained entry by concealing himself as one of Lyle’s ghostly henchmen using a rubber band and a piece of white tissue as his disguise.
    Hazlitt, Hazlitt, 18 June 2025
  • From sly grog shops to speakeasies, people created places to connect and celebrate, even when the world tried to keep them apart.
    Rebecca Styn, Rolling Stone, 13 June 2025
Adjective
  • Conan Edogawa and Detective Kogoro Mouri join the Nagano prefectural police to investigate a break-in at the observatory while uncovering a deeper plot involving undercover agents, betrayal, and vengeance.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 30 June 2025
  • On June 24, undercover agents attempted to purchase fireworks from Pan.
    Roni Jacobson, New York Daily News, 30 June 2025
Adjective
  • This ambitious project is powered by an army of 432 small robots that are moving the massive structure about 33 feet each day to make way for a new underground development.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 29 June 2025
  • Prime Minister Winston Churchill and his cabinet directed the British war effort during World War II from this secret underground complex.
    Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Stealthy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stealthy. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.

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