1
: a cautious, unobtrusive, and secretive way of moving or proceeding intended to avoid detection
Makos, among the fastest of sharks, chase down their prey. Slower species … rely on stealth and explosive power.—
Steve Kemper
Steve KemperThe intricate labor … required courage and stealth.—Sue M. Halpern
Sue M. HalpernAs we walked closer we began treading with exaggerated stealth until we came very close …—Dorothy Dimsdale
Dorothy DimsdaleA thief does his work in secret and by stealth.—Harry Shaw
Harry Shaw2
: an aircraft-design characteristic consisting of oblique angular construction and avoidance of vertical surfaces that is intended to produce a very weak radar return
—usually used before another noun
a stealth bomber/fighter
stealth aircraft
stealth technology
3
a
archaic
: theft
b
obsolete
: something stolen
1
: intended not to attract attention : stealthy
a stealth campaign
… the company has operated in stealth mode until now.—Steve Silberman
Steve SilbermanHer team seemed to communicate with a secret stealth language …—E. L. Konigsburg
see also stealth entry 1 sense 2
E. L. Konigsburg2
medical
: involving or caused by an asymptomatic or presymptomatic infectious individual : silent sense 6b
stealth spread/transmission of a contagious disease
Synonyms
Examples of stealth in a Sentence
Noun
The fox uses stealth and cunning to hunt its prey.
Adjective
the SWAT team carried out a stealth raid on the house, which was believed to be harboring a terrorist cell
Recent Examples on the Web
Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 25 Nov. 2024
Or guests could go with The Bronze Monster 43mm, whose look is inspired by the Prohibition era and the stealth of rumrunners on Michigan waterways.
—Michele Herrmann, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024
Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 20 Dec. 2024
While the Sussexes do love a stealth drop, the couple have never actually commented publicly on the reports they were involved despite Polo and Meghan's lifestyle show being confirmed in April.
—Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stealth 
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Noun
Using stealth, a weasel scattered shoes around a kindergarten classroom in Japan and took 15 of them before police were called to investigate.
—Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 25 Nov. 2024
Or guests could go with The Bronze Monster 43mm, whose look is inspired by the Prohibition era and the stealth of rumrunners on Michigan waterways.
—Michele Herrmann, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024
Adjective
And yet his flair for provocation persists in the film’s scorpion sting of a coda, which brings forth a new interpretation of László’s legacy: one that essentially recasts his work as stealth propaganda, a Zionist Trojan horse.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 20 Dec. 2024
While the Sussexes do love a stealth drop, the couple have never actually commented publicly on the reports they were involved despite Polo and Meghan's lifestyle show being confirmed in April.
—Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stealth
Articles Related to stealth
Dictionary Entries Near stealth
Cite this Entry
“Stealth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stealth. Accessed 28 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
stealth
1 of 2 noun1
: sly or secret action
2
: a design style intended to make an aircraft difficult to detect by radar
stealth
2 of 2 adjective
: intended not to attract attention : stealthy sense 2
a stealth campaign
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