skulked

past tense of skulk
1
as in lurked
to move about in a sly or secret manner I thought I saw someone skulking about in the shadows

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in hid
to remain out of sight the animal control officers caught the stray cat that had been skulking behind some trash cans

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of skulked One roach skulked under a food prep table. — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 12 Dec. 2025 Soon after My Bloody Valentine skulked into the Wembley Arena spotlights, the initial roar of some 12,000 fans abated. — Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 28 Nov. 2025 Money speaks, the land listens, where the Anarchist skulked, where the horsethief plied his trade, we fishers of Americans will cast our nets of perfect ten-acre mesh, leveled and varmint-proofed, ready to build on. — Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2025 The models skulked through The Box like zombies from a past life. — Nadja Sayej, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skulked
Verb
  • But trouble lurked in a left-field box seat — and at shortstop.
    — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Former landlords lurked in bushes or on roofs or waited in cars outside our home.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • It was announced on Saturday that Judkins and QB Deshaun Watson had been fined a cool $14,397, while guard Austin Barber, who also snuck a hit off of the invisible blunt, had to pony up $6,944.
    — Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Kraft also took a direct snap and sneaked for a first down on another fourth-and-1 at the Buccaneers 10.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Amanda Peet did all of that too, starting in her late 30s because of dense breast tissue and prior benign lumps, and her stage 1 invasive lobular carcinoma still slipped past her first scan.
    — Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 14 Oct. 2026
  • These were aspirationally scheduled for no earlier than mid and late October, respectively, but have now apparently slipped to mid-to-late November (though there has been no public confirmation of any firm target date).
    — Andrew Jones, Space.com, 14 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Skulked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skulked. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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