sneaky
Americanadjective
-
sneakier,
comparative
-
sneakiest
superlative
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of sneaky
Explanation
If you're devious or tricky, you might be described as sneaky. Tiptoeing up behind your napping dad to scare him would be sneaky. You might watch your sneaky cat stalking an oblivious squirrel, or act sneaky yourself — slipping quietly into your brother's room to borrow his favorite sweater without asking first. Anytime you make sure not to be seen doing something, you're being sneaky. Sneaky most likely has roots in the Middle English sniken, "to creep or crawl."
Vocabulary lists containing sneaky
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
They are creative projects with the sneaky ability to hollow you out sometimes, especially when the story requires you to watch someone move through a series of the hardest days of their life.
From Salon ● Jul. 28, 2026
A rate-driven selloff can hit both sides of your account at once, which is what makes this one sneaky.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
The deeper mystery, one I’d still like explained, is how Early found the time to learn how to mimic Douglas Sirk’s sneaky sincerity, the trickiest of directorial tones.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2026
A ball is a ball to within a fraction of an inch, no matter how enticing a sneaky catcher can make it look to a mere mortal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 6, 2026
“But my parents are preoccupied and that is why they do not wish anything sneaky to go on.”
From "Before We Were Free" by Julia Alvarez
One of the sneakier standout back-and-forth games ended in a tie — thanks to La Habra junior DJ Mitchell and Oaks Christian sophomore Treyvone Towns Jr. matching each other blow for blow.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 28, 2025
And, even sneakier, he gets the federal government to pay for it all.
From Washington Times ● Dec. 12, 2022
So wash your hands and read on for some of the sneakier places where germs and biofilms — the technical term for slimy layers of bacterial colonies — often lurk.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 11, 2022
But kids should enjoy the story while their parents will eat up the sneakier jokes and fully appreciate Sally Hawkins’s stunning performance as the elf leader Mother Vodol.
From New York Times ● Dec. 3, 2021
“Sorry I scared y’all. My momma says I’m sneakier than a snake in slippers.”
From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas
Freezing small portions of high-impact ingredients is one of the easiest, sneakiest ways for home cooks to borrow a bit of that cheffy magic.
From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2025
In Devers, the Red Sox secure one of the game’s sneakiest superstars, a 26-year-old who seemed likely to spark a massive bidding war had he hit free agency next offseason.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 4, 2023
Text messages threatening to delete your Amazon account for “suspicious activity” unless you verify personal information within 48 hours are among this season’s sneakiest online holiday scams, authorities warn.
From Washington Times ● Dec. 1, 2022
This is the sneakiest good record in the league, owed largely to goalie Ville Husso’s .922 save percentage and a much tighter defensive group.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 25, 2022
It was the trickiest, sneakiest, most evil combat style she knew.
From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
