sneaking up

verb

present participle of sneak up
as in creeping up

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sneaking up
  1. turning up
  2. showing up
Verb
  • Crowe, watching from behind one-way glass and turning up in encounters beyond the confines of the study itself, gives that intensity a perfectly legible antagonist, if not always a valid one.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 24 Sep. 2026
  • To compile its 2027 list, the firm's strategists asked Morgan Stanley's North America analysts for their top recommendation for a one-year buy-and-hold investment horizon, turning up more than 50 names.
    — Deena Zaidi, CNBC, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of turning up
Verb
  • Even when a race is uphill, showing up builds trust, strengthens local party infrastructure, and lays the groundwork for future victories.
    — Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 8 Oct. 2026
  • When backup guard Sophie Cunningham said transgender women should be kept out of women's sports, supporters of both opinions started showing up at games.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of showing up
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.

Browse Nearby Words

sneaking
sneaking up
sneaks
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sneaking up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sneaking%20up. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All