1
as in shady
given to acting in secret and to concealing one's intentions
a furtive guy who always seems to be up to something, and usually that something is no-good
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in clandestine
undertaken or done so as to escape being observed or known by others
gave each other furtive glances as we watched our friend open the booby-trapped soda
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of furtive
Over the past decade, furtive commercial entities around the world have industrialized the production, sale and dissemination of bogus scholarly research.
—
Cyril Labbé, The Conversation, 31 Jan. 2025
At home, the atmosphere was decorous, curious, gentle; outside, the culture of the nineteen-fifties was tougher, valorizing war and papering over a darker, more furtive kind of violence.
—Joshua Rothman, The New Yorker, 25 Jan. 2025
That weekend, at the grocery store, Eliza hovered near the cosmetics wall and, almost without looking, tossed in mascara, concealer, lip gloss, and sped to the checkout, feeling furtive.
—Lauren Groff, The New Yorker, 8 Dec. 2024
There’s always been something eerie about Seefeel’s music, in which dub and ambient flit like furtive ghosts.
—Pitchfork, 5 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for furtive
Cyril Labbé, The Conversation, 31 Jan. 2025
At home, the atmosphere was decorous, curious, gentle; outside, the culture of the nineteen-fifties was tougher, valorizing war and papering over a darker, more furtive kind of violence.
—Joshua Rothman, The New Yorker, 25 Jan. 2025
That weekend, at the grocery store, Eliza hovered near the cosmetics wall and, almost without looking, tossed in mascara, concealer, lip gloss, and sped to the checkout, feeling furtive.
—Lauren Groff, The New Yorker, 8 Dec. 2024
There’s always been something eerie about Seefeel’s music, in which dub and ambient flit like furtive ghosts.
—Pitchfork, 5 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for furtive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for furtive
Adjective
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And not in a shady way and not to tear her down as a person.—
Liza Esquibias,
People.com,
3 Mar. 2025
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Months of fighting the rape claims in federal court in NYC and failing to get the matter tossed out saw a lot of bitter finger pointing with claims of bribery, shady probes and lying from all sides, to varying degrees.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
3 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Information in federal systems includes Treasury payments that could be used to figure out the details of intelligence programs or health and personnel records that could reveal the identities of agents or the responsibilities of clandestine officers.—
DAVID KLEPPER THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
arkansasonline.com,
28 Feb. 2025
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The criminal charges also allege Navarro and Worden ensured that no invoice related to the clandestine construction surpassed $3,000, a threshold that would have required further authorization from Caltrain and TransAmerica Services Inc., the company that employed Worden.—
Robert Salonga,
The Mercury News,
28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Nicholson's portrayal of a rebellious mental hospital inmate is a phenomenal combination of sly intelligence and impish braggadocio, best showcased during the scene where, thwarted in his attempt to watch the World Series on TV, McMurphy ad libs a commentary in front of a blank set.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
2 Mar. 2025
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His cocksure sendup of a particular mystic-himbo archetype contributes a strain of sly comedy to a film otherwise marked by a sincere intensity of feeling.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Keep clutter to a minimum, especially in a small bedroom, by incorporating stealthy storage.—
Elizabeth Stamp,
Architectural Digest,
10 Mar. 2025
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Japan, outfoxed by the stealthy maneuverer in the White House, had to recede.—
Robert W. Merry,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Sergio Castellitto and Isabella Rossellini star in Conclave in which Cardinal Thomas Lawrence (Fiennes) is tasked with running this covert process after the unexpected death of the beloved Pope.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
2 Mar. 2025
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In covert gatherings across California, raw goat or cow milk is mixed with cane alcohol and sugars to make pajaretes.—
Ryan Fonseca,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The best part of furniture pieces that feature sneaky storage is the ability to get double the use out of just one item.—
Rachel Trujillo,
People.com,
11 Mar. 2025
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The Vikings added on the interior of the offensive line (Kelly) and prioritized a sneaky signing (Rodgers).—
Alec Lewis,
The Athletic,
11 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Based on an incident that had happened 10 years earlier, the book chronicles the harrowing story of two undercover LAPD patrol officers who are kidnapped during a routine traffic stop that goes horribly wrong.—
Chris Koseluk,
The Hollywood Reporter,
28 Feb. 2025
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Russo turned stool pigeon within a month of his November 2017 arrest for selling a kilo of cocaine to an undercover agent.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Rocking a New Jersey accent as Joyce’s friend Cynthia, Moore gives a shifty performance that’s key to the success of this twisty non-linear mystery.—
Katie Rife,
EW.com,
2 Mar. 2025
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Occult pyrotechnics and bloody business of all kinds are not allowed to obscure the interior shifts of the shifty Macbeths.—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2025
Articles Related to furtive
Cite this Entry
“Furtive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/furtive. Accessed 15 Mar. 2025.
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