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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Recent Examples of secretly
Using a synesthetic logic all his own, Torres explains why Dwayne (the Rock) Johnson is orange, Catholicism is purple, and navy blue is the nefarious color that secretly runs the world.
—
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2026
In 2012, the gossip site Gawker, infamous for smearing conservative activists, published embarrassing footage of Hogan that had been secretly recorded and had no legitimate news value.
—George Harris, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2026
The book series, which was created by Katherine Applegate and her husband Michael Grant, followed a group of teenagers — Jake, Marco, Cassie, Rachel, and Tobias — who discover that the Earth is being secretly taken over by a parasitic alien race known as Yeerks.
—Joe Otterson, Variety, 3 Apr. 2026
Elon Musk secretly files biggest-ever IPO.
—Jim Edwards, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2026
The climax of White Noise revolves around the brain chemistry of Jack’s wife Babette, who is secretly taking an unregulated psychopharmaceutical called Dylar.
—Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
After an employee at KCI Airport was accused of secretly recording women, Willett seized on the issue and publicly pushed for fewer all-gender bathrooms at the airport.
—Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 1 Apr. 2026
In 1971, Henry Kissinger famously traveled to China secretly via Pakistan ahead of President Richard Nixon’s historic visit to Beijing.
—Marin Scott, NBC news, 1 Apr. 2026
Bellinger and Carter appeared to have secretly eloped in December 2023, per The Knot.
—Kate Hogan, PEOPLE, 1 Apr. 2026
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2026
In 2012, the gossip site Gawker, infamous for smearing conservative activists, published embarrassing footage of Hogan that had been secretly recorded and had no legitimate news value.
—George Harris, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2026
The book series, which was created by Katherine Applegate and her husband Michael Grant, followed a group of teenagers — Jake, Marco, Cassie, Rachel, and Tobias — who discover that the Earth is being secretly taken over by a parasitic alien race known as Yeerks.
—Joe Otterson, Variety, 3 Apr. 2026
Elon Musk secretly files biggest-ever IPO.
—Jim Edwards, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2026
The climax of White Noise revolves around the brain chemistry of Jack’s wife Babette, who is secretly taking an unregulated psychopharmaceutical called Dylar.
—Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
After an employee at KCI Airport was accused of secretly recording women, Willett seized on the issue and publicly pushed for fewer all-gender bathrooms at the airport.
—Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 1 Apr. 2026
In 1971, Henry Kissinger famously traveled to China secretly via Pakistan ahead of President Richard Nixon’s historic visit to Beijing.
—Marin Scott, NBC news, 1 Apr. 2026
Bellinger and Carter appeared to have secretly eloped in December 2023, per The Knot.
—Kate Hogan, PEOPLE, 1 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for secretly
Adverb
-
The loop will remove thousands of vehicles from surface roads daily and is entirely privately funded, according to a press release.—
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez,
Fortune,
28 Mar. 2026
-
It would be totally privately funded.—
Alysia Burgio,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Shared information will be treated confidentially.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 Mar. 2026
-
He was not allowed to review medical records, examine facility health policies, assess staffing levels or speak confidentially with detainees.—
Alexandra Mendoza,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Secretly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/secretly. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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