sliding

verb

present participle of slide
1
as in sneaking
to move about in a sly or secret manner slid gently into his seat without anyone else in church noticing

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in flowing
to move or proceed smoothly and readily at this point the river slides along its banks with barely a ripple

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in crawling
to move slowly with the body close to the ground the convict escaped by sliding through the prison's ductwork

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 sliding The rooms Every single one of the 75 rooms is ocean-facing, with floor to ceiling sliding glass doors framing the view, and leading to private terraces perched above the mangroves. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026 These twin trends—an aging Leninist system sliding toward one-man rule and mounting political inertia in the face of anything that might trigger social unrest—have eroded China’s governance capacity. — Carl Minzner, Foreign Affairs, 5 Oct. 2026 Put the adhesive side of the film onto the wet glass, sliding it into place. — Alexandra Kelly, Martha Stewart, 28 Sep. 2026 Perhaps this is why beloved ‘90s nostalgia brands like McQueen and Calvin Klein (both with sliding revenues) aren’t resonating as well. — Fiona Sinclair Scott, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2026 Giants safety Jevon Holland made a sliding grab near the Cowboys sideline. — Jon MacHota, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026 Becoming a YouTuber had seemed like a way for Chism to stop sliding toward destitution. — Jeremy Gordon, The Atlantic, 14 Sep. 2026 Sneakers and socks sliding across the floor, heels lifting and landing in time with the music. — Erica Rosenfeld Halverson, Washington Post, 9 Sep. 2026 Faraday Future’s shares peaked with excitement about its EV plans in 2021 and have been sliding since then. — Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sliding
  1. sneaking
  2. flowing
  3. crawling
  4. lurking
  5. gliding
  6. creeping
  7. slipping
  8. drifting
Verb
  • Imagine sneaking into a math library and combing through every mathematical text ever written.
    — Lyndie Chiou, Scientific American, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The Chiefs placed Royals at tight end on the line, sneaking him across the back of the end zone on a drag route.
    — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of sneaking
Verb
  • The cash is flowing to candidates, super PACs and industry groups aiming to shape policy fights in Washington.
    — Luke Fountain, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Olivia Rodrigo originally planned to hit the stage at her inaugural Daisy Chain Fields festival in August in an iconic floor-length, flowing white gown.
    — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of flowing
Verb
  • Researchers have developed a paper-thin foot membrane that lets crawling microrobots harvest electricity directly from the ground beneath them, ditching heavy onboard batteries by turning metal and silicon surfaces into an active power source.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Traffic cameras showed that northbound traffic was bumper-to-bumper and crawling along I-35 before being detoured from the highway.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of crawling
Verb
  • That dream came to a screeching halt six years ago, when a sinkhole tore open that revealed an old mine lurking under Hideaway Hills -- forcing more than a dozen families to flee.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Flanagan’s customary whip pans are here to surprise us with characters lurking outside the frame, but this isn’t a story with many external supernatural threats, and tension doesn’t build.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of lurking
Verb
  • Take the account of a giant, gentle whale shark gliding through the blue waters off the Southern California coast.
    — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
  • There was smoothness and gliding, and Bruno saw Guillermo attempting heel leads.
    — Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of gliding
Verb
  • Carr takes a beat to scan the field, no doubt noticing three corners in press and an extra safety creeping toward the line.
    — Nick Baumgardner, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2026
  • But there was something else that was creeping into his head.
    — Andy Martinez, Chicago Tribune, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of creeping
Verb
  • Look a little closer, however, and its chart dominance has been slipping for years.
    — Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Golden State trailed by 16 points with 16 minutes remaining, their historic season slipping through their fingers.
    — Marcus Thompson II, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of slipping
Verb
  • Expect to see plenty of holidaymakers and honeymooners hanging out by the pool or drifting in and out of the on-site spa.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The issue, of course, stems from the sound of rider screams from the coaster drifting into the residential area.
    — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of drifting

Browse Nearby Words

slides
sliding
slight
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Cite this Entry

“Sliding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sliding. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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