HOLE-AND-CORNER Synonyms: 52 Similar and Opposite Words

hole-and-corner

adjective

ˈhōl-ən(d)-ˈkȯr-nər

Definition of hole-and-corner

as in clandestine

undertaken or done so as to escape being observed or known by others a hole-and-corner antiterrorist operation whose very existence has been steadfastly denied by the government

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for hole-and-corner

Adjective

There was something sad in our meetups always having to be clandestine.

— Erica Garza, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026
The arrest, the official explained, came after the Attorney General’s Office concluded that there had been misconduct in an April operation in which state officials dismantled a clandestine drug-manufacturing laboratory.

— Mauricio Torres, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of clandestine

Adjective

The Finnish Government has granted Posiva Oy an operating license for the world’s first permanent underground repository for spent nuclear fuel.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026
Part of what a racist superstructure creates is the need for some kind of underground economy.

— Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of underground

Adjective

Anthropic also wants to investigate covert misalignment, where models conceal their intentions instead of openly displaying concerning behavior.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 31 Oct. 2026
Tehran denies involvement, but the incident raises the prospect of covert operations against American military assets beyond the Middle East.

— Hamidreza Azizi, Time, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of covert

Adjective

An unverified Snapchat message, which students in France claim was written by an undercover police officer, has become the slogan of student protests.

— Joseph Ataman, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
From that moment on, Liang went all-in on becoming the beloved fighter, putting herself through an intense physical transformation to embody the undercover Interpol agent.

— Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of undercover

Adjective

The Daily Express, which first reported the investigation, said the inquiries related to claims that women were trafficked to the king’s private estate in the Scottish Highlands.

— Danica Kirka, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2026
When the heavy hand of government borrowing reduces private investment, jobs are at stake.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of private

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.

Browse Nearby Words

hole

hole-and-corner

holed

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“Hole-and-corner.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hole-and-corner. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of hole-and-corner

adjective

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