Definition of clandestinenext

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 Nicknamed Zvezdny Gorodok, or Star City/Starry Town, this clandestine base of operations was built beside the Tsiolkovskaya railway station served by the Yaroslavl Railroad. Jeff Spry, Space.com, 27 May 2026 But in the current political climate, clandestine behaviors could win out. Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 19 May 2026 These relations are not based on secrecy or clandestine arrangements. Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 17 May 2026 The clandestine nature of Nafisi’s gatherings evokes an ever-present peril. The Atlantic, 14 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for clandestine
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clandestine
Adjective
  • According to his plea agreement with prosecutors, Doyle sold a Glock pistol to an undercover informant on May 20, 2025 — part of a series of transactions on Chicago’s South Side that led to his arrest on July 7, 2025, a few days after the shooting at his daughter’s party.
    Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 22 June 2026
  • Whether openly or undercover, MSV doesn’t just fail shareholders.
    Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 21 June 2026
Adjective
  • After 1996, when the protease inhibitors were developed, the duty to warn continued to be an important standard when HIV status became more clinically covert.
    M. Sara Rosenthal, STAT, 25 June 2026
  • Authorities say the rogue drone operation led out of a former daycare in Georgia was a staging ground where multiple drones were launched on covert missions to deliver the contraband by air to 10 federal prisons at night.
    Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 25 June 2026
Adjective
  • In the 1971 technothriller The Andromeda Strain, identifying an unknown microbe took a team of scientists and a secret state-of-the-art underground research facility.
    David Szondy June 27, New Atlas, 27 June 2026
  • There are more than 1,000 corroding, rusty underground storage tanks leaking gasoline into Miami-Dade County’s groundwater, and 6,000 across the state of Florida.
    Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 27 June 2026
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
  • Rodríguez also said the country’s entire public and private healthcare network had been activated to treat the injured, urging doctors, nurses and other medical personnel to report immediately to their workplaces.
    Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 25 June 2026
  • Delta Air Lines is metro Atlanta's largest private employer.
    Emma Hurt, AJC.com, 25 June 2026
Adjective
  • These cybercriminals are like the Hollywood movie character Jason Bourne, a highly surreptitious operative who avoids detection through diversion, disguises, deflecting and blending into the environment.
    Eric Herzog, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
  • Related Stories Known to be a rebellious royal and a surreptitious anti-fascist, Maria José then moved to Portugal and soon left her husband.
    Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 17 June 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Clandestine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clandestine. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on clandestine

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster