slink

1 of 3

verb

slunk ˈsləŋk How to pronounce slink (audio) also slinked ˈsliŋ(k)t How to pronounce slink (audio) ; 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 3

noun

: the young of an animal (such as a calf) brought forth prematurely
also : the flesh or skin of such an animal

slink

3 of 3

adjective

: born prematurely or abortively
a slink calf
Choose the Right Synonym for slink

lurk, skulk, slink, sneak mean to behave so as to escape attention.

lurk implies a lying in wait in a place of concealment and often suggests an evil intent.

suspicious men lurking in alleyways

skulk suggests more strongly cowardice or fear or sinister intent.

something skulking in the shadows

slink implies moving stealthily often merely to escape attention.

slunk around the corner

sneak may add an implication of entering or leaving a place or evading a difficulty by furtive or underhanded methods.

sneaked out early

Examples of slink in a Sentence

Verb He slinked away in shame. like a thief slinking about in the middle of the night
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Her love of archival designs was also evident in the song's music video, with Cyrus slinking about in a golden hooded gown from Yves Saint Laurent’s fall 1991 collection, among other throwback looks. Christian Allaire, Vogue, 1 Mar. 2024 Samuel quickly slunk into his chair and broke eye contact with me once the question was asked — Deebo is fast at everything. Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2024 The tale begins in 1600 with a ghost ship slinking into a small Japanese harbor town. Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Feb. 2024 Then, slinking through the palm garden, the thieves kicked in two boards on the fence enclosing the bonsai display. Will McCarthy, The Mercury News, 4 Feb. 2024 On Friday, Trump stormed out of the courtroom during Roberta Kaplan’s closing argument, only to slink back in a while later, when one of his lawyers was talking. Eric Lach, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2024 Breaking the huddle inside the cramped gymnasium tucked inside the Detroit Pistons’ posh hotel, James Wiseman’s seven-foot frame strode toward a group of reporters on the sideline, slunk against the wall and slid down to the court, beginning to remove his bright green sneakers. Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 5 Jan. 2024 Each night, as the sun slinks down into the horizon, guests converge in the resort’s breezy, open-air bar to toast with coconuts filled with Chameleon Lemonade—a mix of lime, coconut cream and guaro—while someone bangs the gong, signaling the sun has officially set. Regan Stephens, Robb Report, 31 Oct. 2023 Kylie Jenner skipped the red carpet at the 2024 Golden Globes, and instead chose to slink in the venue, going (mostly) unnoticed, probably thanks to her stealthy black lace catsuit. Sam Reed, Glamour, 8 Jan. 2024
Noun
Pixie, Lamy and Owens’s hairless sphynx cat, slinks across the black plywood dining table hunting for food. Nick Haramis Ola Rindal Dogukan Nesanir, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2024 While Home Alone In the clip, which Southlake DPS shared in its Facebook post, an opossum slinks onto the porch and starts sniffing the cookie delivery. Kelli Bender, Peoplemag, 1 Feb. 2024 Finally, around the video’s three-minute mark, the coyote turns tail and slinks into the brush. Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 31 Jan. 2024 Sometimes a new archeological site rattles an old timetable, then slinks, invalidated, into obscurity. Joann C Gutin, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019 There’s a salted fudgy swirl that slinks into a few bites—swoon. Alex Beggs, Bon Appétit, 14 Oct. 2023 Most Broadway shows that close slink into the darkness uncelebrated. Mark Kennedy, Anchorage Daily News, 17 Apr. 2023 There’s a reason so many of these slink into theaters and onto streaming services during the autumn months. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 2 Nov. 2022 Gigi Hadid wore a dark hoodie dress with a high slink factor. Colleen Barry, ajc, 23 Sep. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'slink.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of slink was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near slink

Cite this Entry

“Slink.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slink. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

slink

verb
ˈsliŋk
slunk
ˈsləŋk
; slinking
: to move or go sneakily : creep along (as in fear or shame)

More from Merriam-Webster on slink

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