1
as in clandestine
undertaken or done so as to escape being observed or known by others
a sneak attack on the nation's capitol
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in weasel
someone who acts in a sly and secret manner
"Why, you little sneak," the mother exclaimed, "you made my birthday present right under my nose!"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sneak
Ashley Strickland, CNN, 13 Mar. 2025
The Eagles needed a second-half comeback just to sneak past a struggling Lafayette team, then had to go on a late run to pull away from Colgate, a squad that had dropped seven of its last 12 games.
—Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 12 Mar. 2025
Mehera Bonner, Marie Claire, 15 Mar. 2017
David Faris, Newsweek, 3 Feb. 2025
Hiding launchers in civilian trucks might help those trucks move into position ahead of a sneak attack on an unprepared foe.
—David Axe, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sneak
Verb
That shadow isn’t perfect, so faint sunbeams sneak around the shadow’s edges on all sides in the colors of a sunset, bathing the moon in brilliant, warm hues.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 13 Mar. 2025
The Eagles needed a second-half comeback just to sneak past a struggling Lafayette team, then had to go on a late run to pull away from Colgate, a squad that had dropped seven of its last 12 games.
—Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 12 Mar. 2025
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
Noun
In golden retrievers, a 'sneak attack' often refers to a playful behavior where the dog approaches a toy or person with exaggerated stealth, crouching low and moving slowly before pouncing.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 3 Feb. 2025
Hiding launchers in civilian trucks might help those trucks move into position ahead of a sneak attack on an unprepared foe.
—David Axe, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sneak
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sneak
Verb
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Kirk Cousins lurks as a possible target down the line if the Falcons ever let him out of Atlanta.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
13 Mar. 2025
-
Karan’s bent-toed geckos were found lurking at night on rocks and boulders along a trail between villages, the study said.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
12 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The past few weeks have felt like a Cold War thriller in which an enemy agent somehow infiltrates the top of the United States government.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
12 Mar. 2025
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The ending, though, doesn't see Kimmie crippling the Bellaire dynasty so much as infiltrating it.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
11 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The illicitly mined resources, which included valuable minerals and precious stones, were smuggled out of the country through clandestine networks, bypassing official regulatory controls for the benefit of consortium members at the expense of the state coffers.—
Antonio Maria Delgado,
Miami Herald,
11 Mar. 2025
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For those hoping to wed immediately, whether to avoid family scrutiny or cover up an out-of-wedlock pregnancy, clandestine marriages performed by Anglican clergy offered a welcome alternative.—
Alexandra Cox,
Smithsonian Magazine,
10 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Some were as big as rhinos, while others resembled small weasels.—
Taylor Nicioli,
CNN,
17 Feb. 2025
-
Since graduation, Chen has racked up assignments in Mozart, Beethoven, Donizetti, Verdi, Wagner, and Puccini with opera companies and symphony orchestras across the United States and in Europe, often as the motormouth buffoons and weasels of classic comedies.—
airmail.news,
airmail.news,
7 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Hands, lots of hands—outstretched, passing cords, clutching mikes, slipping vinyl out of sleeves, scratching records, tapping pads, scrawling signatures onto posters.—
Sheldon Pearce,
The New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2025
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Her sister, Nevaeh Garton, wrote in a GoFundMe description that Stockard slipped as the dolphin lifted her in the air on Monday, March 17.—
Brenton Blanchet,
People.com,
22 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The plot might seem repetitive, going back and forth between Violet trying to follow the anonymous rules and worming her way out of them to seek help (only to be outsmarted), but the movie’s exciting, stage-like formal flourishes and its disorienting lensing keep things moving smoothly.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
10 Mar. 2025
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Chain Reactions Director: Alexandre O. Philippe Featuring: Patton Oswalt, Takashi Miike, Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, Stephen King, Karyn Kusama United States, 2024 For fifty years, Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre has terrified audiences by worming its way into their subconscious.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
6 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Despite numerous warnings, Cuomo ignored engineers’ concerns, went ahead with construction, and attempted to cover it up by secretly replacing the defective bolts in a covert night operation akin to military action.—
Ryan Silverstein,
New York Daily News,
16 Mar. 2025
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Even a covert leader can inadvertently alter employee behavior, resulting in a skewed view of daily operations.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes,
14 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Cornell University’s Department of Public & Ecosystem Health expert Jenny Bloodgood told NBC News that she’s seen a fox, a skunk, a possum and a bobcat test positive for the virus in New York State, indicating the bug could be mutating.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
27 Feb. 2025
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Medium-sized animals like skunks, bobcats and foxes also did not vanish.—
Anton Sorokin,
Smithsonian Magazine,
5 Feb. 2025
Articles Related to sneak
Video
Sneaked vs. Snuck
How the irregular 'snuck' sneaked into the dictionary
Cite this Entry
“Sneak.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sneak. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
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