cloak-and-dagger
adjective
cloak-and-dag·ger
ˈklōk-ən(d)-ˈda-gər 
: dealing in or suggestive of melodramatic intrigue and action usually involving secret agents and espionage
a cloak-and-dagger novel
cloak-and-dagger
noun
Examples of cloak-and-dagger in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Nicole Tung—The New York Times/Redux In the months since Karp’s cloak-and-dagger first meeting with Zelensky, Palantir brass have fallen into a familiar routine on their frequent trips into Ukraine.
—
TIME, 8 Feb. 2024
But there was nothing cloak-and-dagger about their interactions.
—Jimmy Soni, IEEE Spectrum, 12 July 2017
Indiana probably needs more than a cloak-and-dagger quarterback approach to tighten the 29.5-point spread for Saturday’s game.
—Nathan Baird, cleveland, 28 Aug. 2023
People close to Gagosian have sometimes been taken aback by his cloak-and-dagger tradecraft.
—Patrick Radden Keefe, The New Yorker, 24 July 2023
The costume was anonymously returned with some cloak-and-dagger maneuvering, but the duo was identified through social media.
—Jr Radcliffe, Journal Sentinel, 12 June 2023
The absurdity of all this cloak-and-dagger gardening might not be immediately obvious.
—Caty Enders, BostonGlobe.com, 4 May 2023
This video is currently not available WARSAW — President Biden landed in Poland’s capital late Monday, capping a day of cloak-and-dagger moves, a surprise Kyiv trip and an announcement that the United States would send $460 billion worth of aid to bolster Ukraine’s defense against Russian invasion.
—Ben Brasch, Washington Post, 20 Feb. 2023
But this is not a black-bag operation in a war zone or cloak-and-dagger spy games in Cold War–era East Berlin.
—The Editors, National Review, 16 Feb. 2023
TIME, 8 Feb. 2024
But there was nothing cloak-and-dagger about their interactions.
—Jimmy Soni, IEEE Spectrum, 12 July 2017
Indiana probably needs more than a cloak-and-dagger quarterback approach to tighten the 29.5-point spread for Saturday’s game.
—Nathan Baird, cleveland, 28 Aug. 2023
People close to Gagosian have sometimes been taken aback by his cloak-and-dagger tradecraft.
—Patrick Radden Keefe, The New Yorker, 24 July 2023
The costume was anonymously returned with some cloak-and-dagger maneuvering, but the duo was identified through social media.
—Jr Radcliffe, Journal Sentinel, 12 June 2023
The absurdity of all this cloak-and-dagger gardening might not be immediately obvious.
—Caty Enders, BostonGlobe.com, 4 May 2023
This video is currently not available WARSAW — President Biden landed in Poland’s capital late Monday, capping a day of cloak-and-dagger moves, a surprise Kyiv trip and an announcement that the United States would send $460 billion worth of aid to bolster Ukraine’s defense against Russian invasion.
—Ben Brasch, Washington Post, 20 Feb. 2023
But this is not a black-bag operation in a war zone or cloak-and-dagger spy games in Cold War–era East Berlin.
—The Editors, National Review, 16 Feb. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cloak-and-dagger.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1860, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near cloak-and-dagger
Cite this Entry
“Cloak-and-dagger.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cloak-and-dagger. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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