1
: a cautious, unobtrusive, and secretive way of moving or proceeding intended to avoid detection
Makos, among the fastest of sharks, chase down their prey. Slower species … rely on stealth and explosive power.—
Steve Kemper
Steve KemperThe intricate labor … required courage and stealth.—Sue M. Halpern
Sue M. HalpernAs we walked closer we began treading with exaggerated stealth until we came very close …—Dorothy Dimsdale
Dorothy DimsdaleA thief does his work in secret and by stealth.—Harry Shaw
Harry Shaw2
: an aircraft-design characteristic consisting of oblique angular construction and avoidance of vertical surfaces that is intended to produce a very weak radar return
—usually used before another noun
a stealth bomber/fighter
stealth aircraft
stealth technology
3
a
archaic
: theft
b
obsolete
: something stolen
1
: intended not to attract attention : stealthy
a stealth campaign
… the company has operated in stealth mode until now.—Steve Silberman
Steve SilbermanHer team seemed to communicate with a secret stealth language …—E. L. Konigsburg
see also stealth entry 1 sense 2
E. L. Konigsburg2
medical
: involving or caused by an asymptomatic or presymptomatic infectious individual : silent sense 6b
stealth spread/transmission of a contagious disease
Synonyms
Examples of stealth in a Sentence
Noun
The fox uses stealth and cunning to hunt its prey.
Adjective
the SWAT team carried out a stealth raid on the house, which was believed to be harboring a terrorist cell
Recent Examples on the WebMadeline Fass, Vogue, 15 Mar. 2024
As a contestant on Survivor, Dee Valladares is playing a game built on stealth and deception.
—EW.com, 15 Nov. 2023
Founded by a handful of prominent AI industry names, the company is emerging from stealth this week, and has raised seed funding from Microsoft Corp.’s venture capital fund, M12, and Eric Schmidt’s First Spark Ventures.
—Rachel Metz, Fortune, 29 Feb. 2024
There’s stealth in Garrone’s approach: for the most part, the story sticks to a low-key, rough-hewn verisimilitude.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2024
Although Israel has earned a reputation for ruthless efficiency and stealth in taking out its enemies, its spies also have made devastating mistakes over the years and suffered embarrassing failures.
—Keir Simmons, NBC News, 9 Jan. 2024
The company, brought out of stealth by Forbes last year, is commercializing extensive research by Ohio State University geologist Tom Darrah, its CTO and cofounder.
—Alan Ohnsman, Forbes, 11 Feb. 2024
The hackle feather tails also hide the trebles, providing a bit of extra stealth and flutter.
—Joe Cermele, Field & Stream, 4 Jan. 2024
The two-tone steel and charcoal gray design of the ARC strikes the perfect balance between stealth and sleek.
—By
sunset, Sunset Magazine, 13 Nov. 2023
Justin Worland, TIME, 4 Apr. 2024
The top entry, a site called All Business Network, was accused of being a stealth infomercial.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2024
While polluted surface water sickens people quickly, arsenic is a stealth killer.
—Laura Paddison, CNN, 22 Mar. 2024
Your kit also contains special attacks, a grappling hook for zipping around the environment, and stealth kills.
—PCMAG, 21 Mar. 2024
And in the months leading up to the movie’s opening, Paramount’s stealth marketing campaign included strategically inducing crowds gathered at sporting events, or even subway stations, to break out in song.
—Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Feb. 2024
Secretly, Henry had been in the United States after arriving from Nairobi, Kenya over the weekend, negotiating a stealth return home with diplomats from the neighboring Dominican Republic.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2024
Several countries—including China, France, India, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States—are currently working on stealth combat drones.
—Paul Scharre, Foreign Affairs, 29 Feb. 2024
According to reports, one immense upgrade for the B-21 is its stealth coating system.
—Dave Deptula, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023
Noun
Turn to Gucci for a head-turning logo moment, Alaïa for an exaggerated handle, or stay stealth with The Row’s soft suede style.
—Madeline Fass, Vogue, 15 Mar. 2024
As a contestant on Survivor, Dee Valladares is playing a game built on stealth and deception.
—EW.com, 15 Nov. 2023
Founded by a handful of prominent AI industry names, the company is emerging from stealth this week, and has raised seed funding from Microsoft Corp.’s venture capital fund, M12, and Eric Schmidt’s First Spark Ventures.
—Rachel Metz, Fortune, 29 Feb. 2024
There’s stealth in Garrone’s approach: for the most part, the story sticks to a low-key, rough-hewn verisimilitude.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2024
Although Israel has earned a reputation for ruthless efficiency and stealth in taking out its enemies, its spies also have made devastating mistakes over the years and suffered embarrassing failures.
—Keir Simmons, NBC News, 9 Jan. 2024
The company, brought out of stealth by Forbes last year, is commercializing extensive research by Ohio State University geologist Tom Darrah, its CTO and cofounder.
—Alan Ohnsman, Forbes, 11 Feb. 2024
The hackle feather tails also hide the trebles, providing a bit of extra stealth and flutter.
—Joe Cermele, Field & Stream, 4 Jan. 2024
The two-tone steel and charcoal gray design of the ARC strikes the perfect balance between stealth and sleek.
—By
sunset, Sunset Magazine, 13 Nov. 2023
Adjective
The company operated in stealth mode for seven years, raising venture capital money, getting the engineering right on the plane, and collaborating with launch partners, before revealing the WindRunner in late March.
—Justin Worland, TIME, 4 Apr. 2024
The top entry, a site called All Business Network, was accused of being a stealth infomercial.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2024
While polluted surface water sickens people quickly, arsenic is a stealth killer.
—Laura Paddison, CNN, 22 Mar. 2024
Your kit also contains special attacks, a grappling hook for zipping around the environment, and stealth kills.
—PCMAG, 21 Mar. 2024
And in the months leading up to the movie’s opening, Paramount’s stealth marketing campaign included strategically inducing crowds gathered at sporting events, or even subway stations, to break out in song.
—Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Feb. 2024
Secretly, Henry had been in the United States after arriving from Nairobi, Kenya over the weekend, negotiating a stealth return home with diplomats from the neighboring Dominican Republic.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2024
Several countries—including China, France, India, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States—are currently working on stealth combat drones.
—Paul Scharre, Foreign Affairs, 29 Feb. 2024
According to reports, one immense upgrade for the B-21 is its stealth coating system.
—Dave Deptula, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stealth.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to stealth
Dictionary Entries Near stealth
Cite this Entry
“Stealth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stealth. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
stealth
1 of 2 noun1
: sly or secret action
2
: a design style intended to make an aircraft difficult to detect by radar
stealth
2 of 2 adjective
: intended not to attract attention : stealthy sense 2
a stealth campaign
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share