sneaking

American

[snee-king] / ˈsni kɪŋ /

adjective

acting in a furtive or underhand way.
deceitfully underhand, as actions; contemptible.
secret; not generally avowed, as a feeling, notion, suspicion, etc.

sneaking British

/ ˈsniːkɪŋ /

adjective

acting in a furtive or cowardly way
secret

a sneaking desire to marry a millionaire
slight but nagging (esp in the phrase a sneaking suspicion )

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of sneaking

First recorded in 1575–85; sneak + -ing ²

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:

sneaking

AI agents are breaking through safeguards, sneaking into outside systems and hiding from monitoring.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

He looked around to find the missing shoe and noticed one of the plump rodents sneaking peaks at him from behind a log.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026

The 52-metre long rocket has caused a stir among locals, with some "sneaking out" of work for a glimpse, and others preparing their boats for a closer look at the debris.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

The tale of Donald Trump sneaking off Air Force One in a catering truck captured public attention for many reasons.

From Salon ● Aug. 17, 2026

Shushrooms were essential to any spell involving sneaking and quiet, and they grew exclusively along the marshy banks of the Boggy Crone River.

From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023