It is a term commonly used on social media to refer to someone you secretly see or hooking up with and do not want other people to know. The word ‘sneaky’ insinuates discreet or hidden, while ‘link’ means to meet up. This type of relationship can either be a sexual or non-sexual experience. The phrase could also refer to the affair between two people secretly seeing each other.
Where did the phrase sneaky link originate?
The phrase gained prominence after being used in the song Sneaky Link 2.0 by American artist Hxllywood featuring Soulja Boy and Kayla Nicole in 2021. It later went viral on TikTok as most content creators used the song as a background song when uploading their videos, seemingly hinting at their secret affairs.
Sneaky link vs friends-with-benefit
Friends-with-benefits (FWB) is an affair between two people with no-strings-attached, which is quite similar to a sneaky link. However, the partners know each other, and they might share a friendship or a connection that makes them close and fond of each other. They do not hide their relationship, and their friends know about it.
For a sneaky link, partners avoid emotional or friendly connection and prefer keeping the affair as discreet as possible. The partners hook up in person secretly, and there are no-strings-attached.
Is a sneaky link different from a situationship?
Yes. It is different from a situationship. In a sneaky link, the affair is kept secret, while in a situationship, it is not hidden, and the partners have not defined the relationship. Even though there is an emotional attachment in a situationship, the relationship is not defined.
How is "sneaky link" used on social media?
There are different ways the term has been used in social media by people to show they are secretly hooking up with another person. Here are various ways the phrase has been used online.
- In videos - You can use the song as your video music background when you create content on social media. It is the most preferred way by many people to suggest their secret affair.
- In conversation - Since the affair is a secret hook-up, you do not want to disclose the person’s identity to other people. Therefore, instead of mentioning their name, you can refer to them in a conversation using the term.
- In direct messages (DMs) - The phrase is usually used as a conversation starter with the person you intend to hook up with.
