- present participle of sneak.
sneaking
Americanadjective
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acting in a furtive or underhand way.
-
deceitfully underhand, as actions; contemptible.
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secret; not generally avowed, as a feeling, notion, suspicion, etc.
adjective
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acting in a furtive or cowardly way
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secret
a sneaking desire to marry a millionaire
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slight but nagging (esp in the phrase a sneaking suspicion )
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of sneaking
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.
Elliott checked and scrolled compulsively, bypassing the parental controls, sneaking down to grab his phone from the family charging unit in the kitchen at night.
From Slate • May 12, 2026
This isn’t a case of kids sneaking past the gate.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026
One post tags Rihanna, whom she challenged "to say something to me directly instead of sneaking around like you talking to me where I'm not at."
From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026
In one post on X, Ortiz wrote: "Are you there? ... say something to me directly instead of sneaking around like you talking to me where I'm not at."
From BBC • Mar. 10, 2026
“Maybe some Spam or SpaghettiOs? Because I was so excited about sneaking out of the house tonight to go treasure hunting, I didn’t eat any dinner.”
From "The Smartest Kid in the Universe" by Chris Grabenstein
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
