SNEAKY Synonyms: 100 Similar and Opposite Words

sneaky

adjective

ˈsnē-kē

Definition of sneaky

as in shady

given to acting in secret and to concealing one's intentions his opponent's sneaky campaign manager was clearly up to something

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in sneak

undertaken or done so as to escape being observed or known by others a sneaky plan to replace the priceless painting with a copy

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 sneaky The Beast in Me now joins a celebrated cohort of series with this same sneaky nonsense buried in their glowing track records, including Downton Abbey, Big Little Lies, and The White Lotus. — Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026 Use them on your luggage, backpack, purse, or fanny pack to prevent sneaky pickpockets from slipping their fingers inside. — Joel Balsam, Travel + Leisure, 20 Sep. 2026 Fall is finally here — and the must-have shoe brand for cold weather is celebrating with a sneaky sale. — Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2026 Makes this division rivalry — one of only three 1-0 matchups in Week 2 -- a sneaky Game of Week candidate. — Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sneaky

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sneaky

Adjective

The extensive wellness area is built into the rocks with a series of open-air mezzanines, treatment rooms, shady sea-viewing spots and plunge pools.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Oct. 2026
Aside from Anderson, Paz and Méndez have moments of raw emotion in their scenes together, but Affleck and Washington never generate much heat, while Yeun mostly stands around looking shady.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of shady

Adjective

As Béatrice’s amateur detective work pulls her in deeper, the strands begin to suggest a conspiracy, one marked by mysterious disappearances and the clandestine sway of the Vatican.

— Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Other entries referenced covert access, clandestine technical operations and telecommunications interception.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of clandestine

Adjective

Some of us live in Chicago and are well aware of the lore of the Mirage Tavern, a real bar that undercover reporters operated in the 1970s to expose corruption in the city.

— Jodi S. Cohen, ProPublica, 5 Oct. 2026
Investigators also said Ellaboudy advised an undercover FBI confidential human source posing as a representative of a Houthi colonel.

— Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of undercover

Adjective

To build a stealthy ocean-monitoring platform for the Office of Naval Research, Professor Shepherd needed a propulsion system that would not startle marine life.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2026
Akhtar the author, though, is conducting a stealthy psyop aimed at detonating the certainties of combatants on both sides.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of stealthy

Adjective

In the air, stealth aircraft require covert, point-to-point laser links to exchange target data without revealing their position to adversary direction-finding systems.

— Rohit Jha, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026
In early January, the United States captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in a covert military operation.

— Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of covert

Adjective

Poland also has over 86,000 places of refuge offering a lower level of protection such as basements, underground garages or subway stations, and catering for around 23 million people.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
In 2011, Joe Kay debuted Soulection as a college radio show at Cal State Long Beach, spinning rare B-sides, progressive beats, inventive flips of classic records and soulful underground tracks.

— Kailyn Brown, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of underground

Adjective

Contributor Yelena Alpert has a sneaking suspicion that these Frette slippers will last a lifetime, attributing her hypothesis to the shoe’s superior quality.

— Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 10 Mar. 2026
The package includes free breakfast for your plus-one (no more sneaking snacks away from the conference), a signature drink each night (perfect for unwinding after your workday ends), and 1,000 bonus IHG One Rewards points.

— Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 23 Apr. 2025

Definition of sneaking

Browse Nearby Words

sneak up

sneaky

sneer

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

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

Copy Citation

Synonyms of sneaky

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

inscrutable

Popular in Grammar & Usage

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'?

Popular in Wordplay

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)

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes