sneaky

American  

[snee-kee] / ˈsni ki /

adjective

sneakier, sneakiest

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

---

Other Word Forms

• sneakily adverb
• sneakiness noun
• unsneaky adjective

Etymology

Origin of sneaky

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

Example Sentences

In 2009, it banned an array of sneaky fees designed to extract more money from card users.

From Los Angeles Times

Ro’s sneaky value is all the data it collects and stores in its own healthcare records, which patients control and can even export.

From The Wall Street Journal

After that they began to show up every morning at Maxine’s bus stop, looking sneaky and dangerous, like some outlaw gang about to hold up the stagecoach.

From Literature

Independent restaurants have accused global corporations of being "sneaky" and "a killer" to family businesses by masquerading as indies on delivery apps.

From BBC

He argues that “allowing, or at least tolerating, sneaky double-dipping,” can sometimes improve outcomes.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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