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
Over the past decade, furtive commercial entities around the world have industrialized the production, sale and dissemination of bogus scholarly research, undermining the literature that everyone from doctors to engineers rely on to make decisions about human lives.
—Guillaume Cabanac, The Conversation, 29 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
The secret-weapon character who makes the more haunting impression is Agnes, whose chignon hides a rebellious spirit underneath — as well as a furtive romance with the stable boy, Isak (Malte Gårdinger).
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 24 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for furtive
Cyril Labbé, The Conversation, 31 Jan. 2025
Over the past decade, furtive commercial entities around the world have industrialized the production, sale and dissemination of bogus scholarly research, undermining the literature that everyone from doctors to engineers rely on to make decisions about human lives.
—Guillaume Cabanac, The Conversation, 29 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
The secret-weapon character who makes the more haunting impression is Agnes, whose chignon hides a rebellious spirit underneath — as well as a furtive romance with the stable boy, Isak (Malte Gårdinger).
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 24 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for furtive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for furtive
Adjective
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Patti LuPone had a shady reaction to questions about Audra McDonald in a new interview.—
Joey Nolfi Published,
EW.com,
27 May 2025
-
Simple Deluxe 9-foot Patio Umbrella and 50-pound Base Add a shady spot to your sunny patio space with this nine-foot umbrella that comes with a base that can be filled with up to 50 pounds of sand or water.—
Olivia Young,
Travel + Leisure,
26 May 2025
Adjective
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Tired of using bulky night vision goggles for your clandestine nocturnal activities?—
Jennifer Ouellette,
ArsTechnica,
22 May 2025
-
The fiery combination of Mars trine Venus sparks things up in your clandestine 12th house of secrets and eighth house of intimate affairs.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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Last week's finale, featuring host Scarlett Johansson and musical guest Bad Bunny, was packed with sly jokes hinting at big changes to the show's cast.—
Shania Russell,
EW.com,
25 May 2025
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Trier and his longtime co-writer Eskil Vogt draw us in quickly to the family dynamic, establishing the sly ripples of humor that run through even the darker scenes.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
21 May 2025
Adjective
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Another key difference is how stealthy the malware is.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
20 May 2025
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These devices must be hardened against attackers seeking stealthy persistence.—
Yuriy Bulygin,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2025
Adjective
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Striking Iran’s nuclear program would likely set off a much larger conflict in which Israel and the United States hunt for covert Iranian nuclear sites and Tehran retaliates in the Middle East and beyond.—
Richard Nephew,
Foreign Affairs,
26 May 2025
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Mon Mothma's speech Mon Mothma's covert support of the Rebels becomes public following the devastating events of the Ghorman Massacre.—
Nick Romano,
EW.com,
25 May 2025
Adjective
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Upgrade to some new bags that hold a sneaky amount of stuff and look great doing it.—
Sara Coughlin,
SELF,
19 May 2025
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From sneaky ways to get her grandkids outside to turning tiny household tasks into exciting activities, here are the nostalgic summer things your Southern grandma would use to entertain and delight on a trip to her house.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
17 May 2025
Adjective
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Over the course of the investigation, Salinas Valencia sold the undercover officer several firearms, including two machineguns, as well as fentanyl pills and cocaine.—
Brian Bell,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 May 2025
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Officer 18 was a standout among undercover officers, doubling his or her regular pay all three years.—
Ariane Lange,
Sacbee.com,
20 May 2025
Adjective
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By associating vibes with AI, doing so is an outrageous and shifty means of subliminally implying that AI is mysterious, perhaps bordering on possessing sentience.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
5 May 2025
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And the staff lined up just to say goodbye / Tiny tear in his shifty little eye.—
George Varga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Furtive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/furtive. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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