secret 1 of 2

1
as in confidence
information shared only with another or with a select few you didn't really expect him to keep a secret from his wife, did you?

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2
as in mystery
something hard to understand or explain the secrets of the Egyptian pyramids include the construction methods used to lift the huge blocks of stone in place

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3

secret

2 of 2

adjective

1
2
as in undercover
working on missions in which one's objectives, activities, or true identity are not publicly revealed secret agents whose wartime exploits were known only by top government officials

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3
as in secluded
screened or sequestered from view a secret cave that is screened by trees

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4

Synonym Chooser

How is the word secret distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of secret are clandestine, covert, furtive, stealthy, surreptitious, and underhanded. While all these words mean "done without attracting observation," secret implies concealment on any grounds for any motive.

met at a secret location

When would clandestine be a good substitute for secret?

While the synonyms clandestine and secret are close in meaning, clandestine implies secrecy usually for an evil, illicit, or unauthorized purpose and often emphasizes the fear of being discovered.

a clandestine meeting of conspirators

In what contexts can covert take the place of secret?

In some situations, the words covert and secret are roughly equivalent. However, covert stresses the fact of not being open or declared.

covert intelligence operations

When is furtive a more appropriate choice than secret?

The synonyms furtive and secret are sometimes interchangeable, but furtive implies a sly or cautious stealthiness.

lovers exchanging furtive glances

When is it sensible to use stealthy instead of secret?

The words stealthy and secret can be used in similar contexts, but stealthy suggests taking pains to avoid being seen or heard especially in some misdoing.

the stealthy step of a burglar

Where would surreptitious be a reasonable alternative to secret?

The words surreptitious and secret are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, surreptitious applies to action or behavior done secretly often with skillful avoidance of detection and in violation of custom, law, or authority.

the surreptitious stockpiling of weapons

When could underhanded be used to replace secret?

While in some cases nearly identical to secret, underhanded stresses fraud or deception.

an underhanded trick

Example Sentences

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 secret
Noun
Rather than confiding in close friends about personal secrets, some will opt to do so with AGI. Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025 In this psychological thriller, readers are taken on a wild ride that truly denotes that not everything that glitters is gold, and that the wealthy have their fair share of secrets and problems, too. Lynnette Nicholas, Parents, 14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
Cole is the rebellious cool older brother with a secret heart of gold, while Alex is the reliable nerdy and sweet one who wants to come out from Cole's shadow. Dina Kaur, AZCentral.com, 27 Aug. 2025 Nate is alive, but is being experimented upon by Horizen goons in some secret location. Randall Colburn, EW.com, 26 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for secret
Recent Examples of Synonyms for secret
Noun
  • Howell did not play in the final preseason game, which could be viewed as a confidence in his ability to be the No. 2 quarterback.
    Trevor Squire, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Aug. 2025
  • Still, as temperatures and winds eased Friday, fire officials telegraphed confidence.
    The Press Democrat, Mercury News, 23 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Familiar and reassuring, cozy mysteries aren’t called that for nothing.
    Caryn James, HollywoodReporter, 22 Aug. 2025
  • The mystery was solved via coincidence and the outcome was deeply unsatisfying.
    Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Police found her car abandoned on the side of Bluegrass Parkway in Nelson County a few days later with her keys, phone and purse inside.
    Killian Baarlaer, Louisville Courier Journal, 19 Aug. 2025
  • The key is to watch out for rendering false positives and false negatives.
    Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Party leaders could reveal what their rivals were cooking up and reporters could penetrate clandestine deal-making through sources.
    Dan Walters, Mercury News, 15 Aug. 2025
  • Nic Carter, a crypto venture capitalist, then coined the term Operation Choke Point 2.0, referring to an Obama administration clandestine operation to debank undesirable industries including firearms dealers and payday lenders in the early 2010s.
    Billy Bambrough, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • He is aided by Yasir Abbas, a weapons specialist; Raghuveer Singh, a sniper who served in Kashmir and Tawang; Uday Bhan, an explosives expert; and Sukhbir Singh, an Indian agent undercover in Pakistan posing as a Karachi stockbroker.
    Time, Time, 13 Aug. 2025
  • Wednesday’s hearing before Magistrate Judge Shannon G. Elkins in downtown Minneapolis focused on several motions from Eichorn, including one to drop the charges and for the defense to be able to call the undercover officer who posed as a 17-year-old girl to testify.
    Mary Murphy, Twin Cities, 6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Outdoors, the secluded and hedged backyard is rife with herb, citrus, and fruit trees and has plenty of room for a swimming pool, per marketing materials.
    Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 18 Aug. 2025
  • Located 40 miles south of Indy, Blue's says their most popular river trips flow through a secluded state wildlife preserve and a part of the Camp Atterbury wilderness area.
    Joe Mutascio, IndyStar, 18 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Never enter sensitive, confidential or proprietary company information into public AI tools like ChatGPT.
    Caroline Castrillon, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
  • Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway has been building a secret stock position with special confidential treatment for two quarters in a row.
    Yun Li, CNBC, 13 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • California adjusts lottery prizes based on the number of tickets sold and number of winners.
    Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 17 Aug. 2025
  • Nearly 215,000 other tickets sold in the United States also won prizes ranging from $10 to $150,000 in the drawing, the lottery said.
    Don Sweeney, Miami Herald, 17 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Secret.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/secret. Accessed 30 Aug. 2025.

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