covert

2 of 2

noun

Synonym Chooser

How is the word covert distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of covert are clandestine, furtive, secret, stealthy, surreptitious, and underhanded. While all these words mean "done without attracting observation," covert stresses the fact of not being open or declared.

covert intelligence operations

When could clandestine be used to replace covert?

The meanings of clandestine and covert largely overlap; however, clandestine implies secrecy usually for an evil, illicit, or unauthorized purpose and often emphasizes the fear of being discovered.

a clandestine meeting of conspirators

Where would furtive be a reasonable alternative to covert?

The words furtive and covert can be used in similar contexts, but furtive implies a sly or cautious stealthiness.

lovers exchanging furtive glances

When is secret a more appropriate choice than covert?

While in some cases nearly identical to covert, secret implies concealment on any grounds for any motive.

met at a secret location

When is it sensible to use stealthy instead of covert?

The words stealthy and covert are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, stealthy suggests taking pains to avoid being seen or heard especially in some misdoing.

the stealthy step of a burglar

In what contexts can surreptitious take the place of covert?

In some situations, the words surreptitious and covert are roughly equivalent. 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 might underhanded be a better fit than covert?

While the synonyms underhanded and covert are close in meaning, 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 covert
Adjective
Checkmate, which is another element that will continue in future DCU projects, is a covert watchdog agency. Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025 This model protects against allergens like pollen and pet dander, smoke, dust, and does it all from a place of covert, inoffensive design. Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 8 Oct. 2025
Noun
But keeping the commercial covert was especially challenging after his wife, Martel Thompson Hale — who is a makeup artist — worked with him on the ad. Nardine Saad, Los Angeles Times, 13 Feb. 2024 The main plot involves Ragnar, the kid whose helmet ceremony was interrupted in the season’s opening scene, being abducted by a dragon that has been bedeviling the covert for a while. Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 22 Mar. 2023 See All Example Sentences for covert
Recent Examples of Synonyms for covert
Adjective
  • The killer targeted and gunned down couples parked in secluded spots on the city’s outskirts, and in several cases, the bodies of female victims were discovered to be mutilated.
    Isadora Wandermurem, Time, 22 Oct. 2025
  • There are several exciting ways to explore its most secluded corners.
    Gwen Nicol, Travel + Leisure, 22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Duplicity, directed by Tony Gilroy, follows two corporate spies, Claire (Roberts) and Ray (Owen), who become embroiled in a clandestine love affair.
    Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2025
  • There’s a clandestine quality to it all.
    Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • In the late 1800s, it’s also been said that the cave was a hideout for moonshiners, thanks to its secluded location and constant temperature of 64 degrees every day of the year.
    Megan duBois, Southern Living, 23 Oct. 2025
  • Responding officers found the passageway, then found the hideout.
    Theoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 10 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • In 2006, protestors occupied a grove of oak trees slated to be cut down for the construction of a new athletic center.
    Austin Meek, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
  • The Gardens at Lake Merritt were built in the 1950s and feature 7 acres of idyllic water-and-forested space including bonsai and rhododendron groves.
    John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The 61-year-old loves the hunt, and sifting through old belongings and hidden gems is what keeps him going.
    Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer, 23 Oct. 2025
  • Scheeres’s work also inspired me to research the troubled teen industry, the hidden arm of America’s prison industrial complex, a largely unregulated network of religious and secular therapeutic boarding schools, wilderness programs, private youth programs, and drug rehabilitation centers.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Billitier did have a hell of a story to tell about his decades of undercover work for the FBI, including several years infiltrating a Colombian drug ring in Texas.
    Steve Belanger, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2025
  • The movie is based on the 1980s TV series, starring Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas, as undercover detectives in South Florida.
    Angelique Jackson, Variety, 23 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The lair goes undetected for six months.
    Theoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 10 Oct. 2025
  • Following a trip to Bash Steed’s villainous lair, our trio returns home, where they’re confronted by Renée Zellweger’s Camila White.
    Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 7 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Brake gently as needed - Brake normally if the vehicle has anti-lock brakes and pump brakes gently if in an older vehicle.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 21 Oct. 2025
  • Among the modifications performed by Koenig were upgraded camshafts, pistons, and exhaust, which added 110 brake horsepower to the output of the V-12.
    Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 21 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Covert.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/covert. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.

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