SECRETLY Synonyms: 28 Similar and Opposite Words

secretly

adverb

Definition of secretly

as in privately

in a manner intended to prevent knowledge or awareness by others the girl secretly told her friends about the birthday party so it would be a surprise to the birthday girl

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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.

Recent Examples of secretly At the time, Link, a Vernon Hills Democrat, was secretly cooperating with the FBI. — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026 Escaping a bitter custody battle, Myra (Snook) returns home with her young daughter, secretly probing a childhood friend’s suspicious disappearance. — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 27 Oct. 2026 Irma, a gifted scholarship student, has secretly joined forces with two other, more outgoing college seniors, Pammy Chang and the dangerously alluring Dahlia Breughel. — Malcolm Forbes, Christian Science Monitor, 26 Oct. 2026 Mick paused in the middle of it during month two or three of being secretly off birth control. — Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026 Milner Police Chief Lamar Bunn accused city hall of secretly placing a tracker on his truck, paid for with personal funds and without the knowledge of anyone else in city government. — Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026 Meanwhile, actress Nicole Kidman and rocker Lenny Kravitz secretly got engaged, but later split. — Leah Simpson, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2026 Ding was charged in 2024 with stealing artificial intelligence trade secrets from Google while secretly working with two companies based in China. — ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026 Hence, the user shouldn’t be able to secretly record other people’s conversations verbatim. — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 15 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for secretly

Adverb

This sturdy brick residence is privately owned and tucked off campus.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026
Others privately expressed fear that Henderson would provoke retaliation from the President, perhaps causing the state to lose pending federal grants to build nuclear power plants and to restore the Great Salt Lake.

— Barton Gellman, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of privately

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secretiveness

secretly

secrets

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“Secretly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/secretly. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of secretly

adverb

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