sneaky

[snee-kee]

adjective

sneakier, sneakiest 

1. like or suggestive of a sneak; furtive; deceitful.

Other Word Forms

• sneakily adverb
• sneakiness noun
• unsneaky adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of sneaky¹

First recorded in 1825–35; sneak + -y ¹

Example Sentences

Trent Perry followed one sneaky steal with another in a span of less than a minute.

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Soon, a large international team of researchers assembled to study the origins of these sneaky bursts.

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She said her "darling" but "sneaky" daughter Kelly had tracked Jennifer down and arranged for them to speak over the phone.

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This year’s ballot measure would explicitly bar future legislatures from devising sneaky ways to get at capital gains.

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“Even if the female is receptive and they mate — after they mate, the male needs to be really fast and sneaky because otherwise the female can also eat the male as well.”

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Related Words

• devious 
• disingenuous 
• nasty 
• shifty 
• sly 
• tricky