slink
1 of 3verb
ˈsliŋk 
slunk ˈsləŋk also slinked ˈsliŋ(k)t ; slinking
also slinked ˈsliŋ(k)t ; slinking intransitive verb
1
: to go or move stealthily or furtively (as in fear or shame) : steal
2
: to move in a sinuous provocative manner
transitive verb
: to give premature birth to —used especially of a domestic animal
a cow that slinks her calf
slink
2 of 3noun
: the young of an animal (such as a calf) brought forth prematurely
also : the flesh or skin of such an animal
slink
3 of 3adjective
: born prematurely or abortively
a slink calf
Synonyms
Verb
- lurk
- mooch
- mouse
- pussyfoot
- shirk
- skulk
- slide
- slip
- snake
- sneak
- steal
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Verb He slinked away in shame. like a thief slinking about in the middle of the night
Recent Examples on the Web
Boyd Tonkin, WSJ, 8 Sep. 2022 The wine selection was equally of the place: Santorini’s volcanic terroir produces crisp wines of deep minerality, all of which were perfect for whiling away the evening and watching the sun slowly slink out of view. Jessie Heyman, Vogue, 18 Aug. 2022 People tend to assume that this is when the desert is most alive, but in truth, even in the most arid conditions, bobcats prowl, coyotes slink, and foxes rear their kits. Lindsay Ryan, The Atlantic, 19 Aug. 2022 After all, just one year ago, when the Celtics looked to be locked into mediocrity, the Phoenix Suns came within two wins of a championship, only to slink out in the second round of this postseason despite being the West’s No. 1 seed. New York Times, 12 June 2022 The roads here are gravel and slink through the mountains. Keith Gessen, The New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2022 The scam was foiled when Brian Flores filed his discrimination lawsuit against the Dolphins and Brady had no choice but to slink back to the Bucs, but not without first getting his coach (Bruce Arians) fired. Dan Shaughnessy, BostonGlobe.com, 5 Aug. 2022 Once the dogs lost interest, the opossum would get up and slink away. Elaine Godfrey, The Atlantic, 20 July 2022 The Sims has a slapstick sense of humor fit for gawky teen years; a Sim can get dumped in the hallway, strike a T-pose for a viral challenge, and then slink away for class in the span of a minute. Wired, 16 July 2022 Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 29 June 2022 The protagonist version of Loki is intent on avoiding the fight and escaping the hideout, picking his way through the brawl with a mischievous slink. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 29 June 2022 The protagonist version of Loki is intent on avoiding the fight and escaping the hideout, picking his way through the brawl with a mischievous slink. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 29 June 2022 The protagonist version of Loki is intent on avoiding the fight and escaping the hideout, picking his way through the brawl with a mischievous slink. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 29 June 2022 The protagonist version of Loki is intent on avoiding the fight and escaping the hideout, picking his way through the brawl with a mischievous slink. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 29 June 2022 The protagonist version of Loki is intent on avoiding the fight and escaping the hideout, picking his way through the brawl with a mischievous slink. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 29 June 2022 The protagonist version of Loki is intent on avoiding the fight and escaping the hideout, picking his way through the brawl with a mischievous slink. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 29 June 2022 The protagonist version of Loki is intent on avoiding the fight and escaping the hideout, picking his way through the brawl with a mischievous slink. Ew Staff, EW.com, 13 June 2022 See More
Verb
In the foreground, Ned and Will slink furtively from one bolt-hole to another before finding refuge in sympathetic homesteads. Boyd Tonkin, WSJ, 8 Sep. 2022 The wine selection was equally of the place: Santorini’s volcanic terroir produces crisp wines of deep minerality, all of which were perfect for whiling away the evening and watching the sun slowly slink out of view. Jessie Heyman, Vogue, 18 Aug. 2022 People tend to assume that this is when the desert is most alive, but in truth, even in the most arid conditions, bobcats prowl, coyotes slink, and foxes rear their kits. Lindsay Ryan, The Atlantic, 19 Aug. 2022 After all, just one year ago, when the Celtics looked to be locked into mediocrity, the Phoenix Suns came within two wins of a championship, only to slink out in the second round of this postseason despite being the West’s No. 1 seed. New York Times, 12 June 2022 The roads here are gravel and slink through the mountains. Keith Gessen, The New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2022 The scam was foiled when Brian Flores filed his discrimination lawsuit against the Dolphins and Brady had no choice but to slink back to the Bucs, but not without first getting his coach (Bruce Arians) fired. Dan Shaughnessy, BostonGlobe.com, 5 Aug. 2022 Once the dogs lost interest, the opossum would get up and slink away. Elaine Godfrey, The Atlantic, 20 July 2022 The Sims has a slapstick sense of humor fit for gawky teen years; a Sim can get dumped in the hallway, strike a T-pose for a viral challenge, and then slink away for class in the span of a minute. Wired, 16 July 2022 Noun
The protagonist version of Loki is intent on avoiding the fight and escaping the hideout, picking his way through the brawl with a mischievous slink. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 29 June 2022 The protagonist version of Loki is intent on avoiding the fight and escaping the hideout, picking his way through the brawl with a mischievous slink. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 29 June 2022 The protagonist version of Loki is intent on avoiding the fight and escaping the hideout, picking his way through the brawl with a mischievous slink. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 29 June 2022 The protagonist version of Loki is intent on avoiding the fight and escaping the hideout, picking his way through the brawl with a mischievous slink. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 29 June 2022 The protagonist version of Loki is intent on avoiding the fight and escaping the hideout, picking his way through the brawl with a mischievous slink. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 29 June 2022 The protagonist version of Loki is intent on avoiding the fight and escaping the hideout, picking his way through the brawl with a mischievous slink. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 29 June 2022 The protagonist version of Loki is intent on avoiding the fight and escaping the hideout, picking his way through the brawl with a mischievous slink. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 29 June 2022 The protagonist version of Loki is intent on avoiding the fight and escaping the hideout, picking his way through the brawl with a mischievous slink. Ew Staff, EW.com, 13 June 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Verb
Middle English, from Old English slincan to creep; akin to Old English slingan to worm, twist
First Known Use
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1
Noun
1607, in the meaning defined above
Adjective
1750, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
slink
verb
ˈsliŋk
slunk
ˈsləŋk
; slinking : to move or go by or as if by creeping especially so as not to be noticed (as in fear or shame)
… he stuck his tail between his legs and slunk swiftly away … Jean Craighead George, Julie of the Wolves
Jean Craighead George, Julie of the Wolvesslinking
verb
as in sneaking
to move about in a sly or secret manner like a thief slinking about in the middle of the night Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- sneaking
- lurking
- skulking
- sliding
- slipping
- crawling
- stealing
- snaking
- creeping
- tiptoeing
- shirking
- inching
- mousing
- pussyfooting
- mooching
- edging
- padding
- worming
- ghosting