Synonyms of secretly

secretly

adverb

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• privately
• confidentially
• in private
• intimately
• backstage
• in camera
• covertly
• clandestinely
• inwardly
• à deux
• tête-à-tête
• surreptitiously
• furtively
• secretively
• stealthily
• sneakily
• conspiratorially
• collusively
• underhandedly
• sotto voce
• underground
• undercover
• offstage
• offscreen
• underhanded
• underhand

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• publicly
• openly

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of secretly

In 2024, Ojukwu was secretly detained in Lagos and later found in Abuja after being missing for several days over the same report. — Arkansas Online, 12 Nov. 2026

That gave him the technical know-how and lab access to secretly build his dead wife a synthezoid body. — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 11 Nov. 2026

Lockwood initially bought the property secretly through a mystery corporation, Lake Osceola Holdings LLC, and the later revelation of the transaction stunned those who’ve been working for many months to save the house from demolition. — Brian Bell, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 Nov. 2026

In the bleary moments just before one of his siblings tugged the field-house doors open, Jontay always secretly wished that they’d be locked. — New Yorker, 8 Nov. 2026

But the priest begins to quietly resist, secretly returning the bodies to their families at great personal risk. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 7 Nov. 2026

The latter pair hope one day to buy their liberty, Emmaline also pinning romantic hopes on Jeremiah, who once secretly taught her to read and write. — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 6 Nov. 2026

In addition, consumer devices, including smart TVs and routers, can be secretly ensnared by such proxy services via malware or shady third-party software development kits (SDKs). — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 5 Nov. 2026

Hearings revealed that Interior Secretary Albert Bacon Fall had secretly leased federal oil reserves in Wyoming to two private corporations and had received personal loans and gifts from the companies in return. — Gibbs Knotts, The Conversation, 4 Nov. 2026