Thesaurus results for SLINK

Q: How is the word 'slink' distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of slink are lurk , skulk , and sneak . While all these words mean "to behave so as to escape attention," slink implies moving stealthily often merely to escape attention. // slunk around the corner

Q: When is 'lurk' a more appropriate choice than 'slink'?

While the synonyms lurk and slink are close in meaning, lurk implies a lying in wait in a place of concealment and often suggests an evil intent. // suspicious men lurking in alleyways

Q: When might 'skulk' be a better fit than 'slink'?

In some situations, the words skulk and slink are roughly equivalent. However, skulk suggests more strongly cowardice or fear or sinister intent. // something skulking in the shadows

Q: When can 'sneak' be used instead of 'slink'?

The synonyms sneak and slink are sometimes interchangeable, but sneak may add an implication of entering or leaving a place or evading a difficulty by furtive or underhanded methods. // sneaked out early

slink

verb

ˈsliŋk

Definition of slink

as in to sneak

to move about in a sly or secret manner like a thief slinking about in the middle of the night

Synonyms & Similar Words

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How is the word slink distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of slink are lurk, skulk, and sneak. While all these words mean "to behave so as to escape attention," slink implies moving stealthily often merely to escape attention.

slunk around the corner

When is lurk a more appropriate choice than slink?

While the synonyms lurk and slink are close in meaning, lurk implies a lying in wait in a place of concealment and often suggests an evil intent.

suspicious men lurking in alleyways

When might skulk be a better fit than slink?

In some situations, the words skulk and slink are roughly equivalent. However, skulk suggests more strongly cowardice or fear or sinister intent.

something skulking in the shadows

When can sneak be used instead of slink?

The synonyms sneak and slink are sometimes interchangeable, but sneak may add an implication of entering or leaving a place or evading a difficulty by furtive or underhanded methods.

sneaked out early

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 slink Claypool’s voice, formerly a sharp and declarative figure in the mix, slinks down into silty waters, often unintelligible and almost always emotionally ambiguous. — Sasha Geffen, Pitchfork, 2 Aug. 2026 Video posted to social media shows a man slinking behind In-N-Out signs and shrubs, seeking out the source of the gunfire. — Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 2 Aug. 2026 Why not just let Benton slink away, as others before him have done? — Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2026 At night, guard dogs and surveillance teams monitor the grounds year-round, because catastrophe at Wimbledon comes in the form of a two-foot-long fox slinking onto a court and marking its territory. — Nick Pachelli, Time, 11 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for slink

Recent Examples of Synonyms for slink

Verb

But, the heartbreak would come sneaking around the bend over what might be the wildest 20 seconds of recent Big Ten memory, thanks to the insane final few minutes.

— Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
The basics include covering vents with mesh so embers can’t sneak in and ensuring every window and door is closed.

— Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of sneak

Verb

But a few months later, at her 18-month appointment, the standard graph that plotted a child’s weight against their age showed her weight slipping off the curve.

— Raj Panjabi, Time, 13 Oct. 2026
The United States is currently managing to get significant amounts of crude oil (if not refined product) through the strait, but only by providing costly military protection to tankers that slip past Iran’s guns with their transponders off.

— Philip H. Gordon, Foreign Affairs, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of slip

Verb

From elevating beds to expanding sections to sliding walls and even entire roofs, these 10 homes transform to get maximum use out of a compact space.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2026
Technology stocks are also poised to slide if rates continue to climb — particularly as investors raise concerns over the feasibility of the artificial intelligence data center expansion, according to Northey.

— Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of slide

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slings

slink

slinking

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

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Synonyms of slink

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