Synonym Chooser

How is the word clandestine distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of clandestine are covert, furtive, secret, stealthy, surreptitious, and underhanded. While all these words mean "done without attracting observation," clandestine implies secrecy usually for an evil, illicit, or unauthorized purpose and often emphasizes the fear of being discovered.

a clandestine meeting of conspirators

When is it sensible to use covert instead of clandestine?

The words covert and clandestine can be used in similar contexts, but covert stresses the fact of not being open or declared.

covert intelligence operations

When might furtive be a better fit than clandestine?

While the synonyms furtive and clandestine are close in meaning, furtive implies a sly or cautious stealthiness.

lovers exchanging furtive glances

Where would secret be a reasonable alternative to clandestine?

In some situations, the words secret and clandestine are roughly equivalent. However, secret implies concealment on any grounds for any motive.

met at a secret location

When can stealthy be used instead of clandestine?

Although the words stealthy and clandestine have much in common, stealthy suggests taking pains to avoid being seen or heard especially in some misdoing.

the stealthy step of a burglar

When is surreptitious a more appropriate choice than clandestine?

The meanings of surreptitious and clandestine largely overlap; however, 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 clandestine?

While in some cases nearly identical to clandestine, 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 clandestine The mayor of New Orleans has been indicted on charges stemming from an alleged scheme to use over $70,000 of city funds to keep up a clandestine relationship with a bodyguard, new court filings show. Michael Loria, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2025 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 Party leaders could reveal what their rivals were cooking up and reporters could penetrate clandestine deal-making through sources. Dan Walters, Oc Register, 13 Aug. 2025 In past years, rights critics said the Iranian regime had expanded its clandestine program of foreign assassinations, renditions and harassment of dissidents and political opponents. Amira El-Fekki‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for clandestine
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clandestine
Adjective
  • In it, Super Bowl-winning quarterback Eli Manning goes undercover in heavy prosthetics and a wig and dons the alias Chad Powers to try out as a walk-on quarterback for Penn State football.
    Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Senate Bill 627, for example, would prohibit law enforcement agents from covering their faces to obscure their identity, carving out exceptions for SWAT teams and undercover officers.
    Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Woman of the Hour In her directorial debut, Anna Kendrick stars as aspiring actress Sheryl Bradshaw, who unknowingly crosses paths with a covert serial killer (Daniel Zovatto) while appearing on The Dating Game.
    Jacqueline Weiss, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
  • That provision allows a president to take covert actions as long as Congress is informed.
    Emily Goodin, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Korean Central News Agency/AP What To Know North Korea has conducted six underground nuclear tests since 2006, the most recent in 2017.
    Robert Birsel, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Around a million years ago, a sinkhole opened, turning the Cedar Creek waterway into an underground river.
    Lydia Mansel, Southern Living, 8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Get Ready: Katy Perry Has Released a Sneak Peek of Her New Song And the internet has receipts.
    Mehera Bonner, Marie Claire, 15 Mar. 2017
Adjective
  • In some states where there is no anonymity for individual winners, people can still claim prizes anonymously through private trusts.
    Safiyah Riddle, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2025
  • But the new private terminal is winning their support, with the backing of historians and preservationists who have been fighting to maintain South Florida’s aviation legacy in a region known for tearing down buildings.
    Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • When one fan posted a surreptitious photo of Sudeikis and Hunt hanging out at a bar, commenters warned them to not share the location.
    Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 1 Aug. 2025
  • These, though, have generally either been surreptitious efforts or ones that the White House has attempted strenuously to legally justify.
    New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 1 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Clandestine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clandestine. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

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