as in clandestinely
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Recent Examples of covertly
The difference is that many organizations do so covertly to maximize profits.
—
Ben Cohen, Time, 15 Jan. 2026
These brave whistleblowers spent seven years and countless hours collaborating with us, recording, investigating, and covertly transmitting files to investigate crimes perpetrated by corrections officers tasked with protecting, not harming, the men in their care.
—Andrew Jarecki & Charlotte Kaufman, IndieWire, 15 Jan. 2026
That could mean tightening sanctions on remaining power brokers, expanding strikes against security installations and militias, covertly supporting insurgent factions, and using Maduro’s prospective trial as a global stage on which to delegitimize Chavismo once and for all.
—Robert Muggah, Fortune, 5 Jan. 2026
That could mean tightening sanctions on remaining power brokers, expanding strikes against security installations and militias, covertly supporting insurgent factions, and using Maduro’s prospective trial as a global stage on which to delegitimize Chavismo once and for all.
—Robert Muggah, The Conversation, 4 Jan. 2026
The lawsuit claims that Drake, Ross, and Nguyen used the feature to covertly transfer gambling proceeds.
—Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 2 Jan. 2026
Russian personnel with links to the country’s military and security services have engaged in spying in European waters while working covertly on ships carrying Russian oil, Western and Ukrainian intelligence sources exclusively told CNN.
—Saskya Vandoorne, CNN Money, 18 Dec. 2025
Great powers also intervene in other countries’ politics, covertly and overtly, sometimes violently.
—Jennifer Lind, Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 2025
Defence journalist Paul Iddon notes in his article for Forbes that since the 1980s, Tehran has produced unlicensed versions of American systems inherited from the Shah-era arsenal, acquired covertly, or captured on the battlefield.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 8 Dec. 2025
Ben Cohen, Time, 15 Jan. 2026
These brave whistleblowers spent seven years and countless hours collaborating with us, recording, investigating, and covertly transmitting files to investigate crimes perpetrated by corrections officers tasked with protecting, not harming, the men in their care.
—Andrew Jarecki & Charlotte Kaufman, IndieWire, 15 Jan. 2026
That could mean tightening sanctions on remaining power brokers, expanding strikes against security installations and militias, covertly supporting insurgent factions, and using Maduro’s prospective trial as a global stage on which to delegitimize Chavismo once and for all.
—Robert Muggah, Fortune, 5 Jan. 2026
That could mean tightening sanctions on remaining power brokers, expanding strikes against security installations and militias, covertly supporting insurgent factions, and using Maduro’s prospective trial as a global stage on which to delegitimize Chavismo once and for all.
—Robert Muggah, The Conversation, 4 Jan. 2026
The lawsuit claims that Drake, Ross, and Nguyen used the feature to covertly transfer gambling proceeds.
—Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 2 Jan. 2026
Russian personnel with links to the country’s military and security services have engaged in spying in European waters while working covertly on ships carrying Russian oil, Western and Ukrainian intelligence sources exclusively told CNN.
—Saskya Vandoorne, CNN Money, 18 Dec. 2025
Great powers also intervene in other countries’ politics, covertly and overtly, sometimes violently.
—Jennifer Lind, Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 2025
Defence journalist Paul Iddon notes in his article for Forbes that since the 1980s, Tehran has produced unlicensed versions of American systems inherited from the Shah-era arsenal, acquired covertly, or captured on the battlefield.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 8 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for covertly
Adverb
-
Panahi has spent most of his career making films clandestinely, without approval of authorities, and was until recently banned from leaving the country.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
11 Jan. 2026
-
The original cover disappeared — in fact, was kept and sold clandestinely by a CBS executive for around $25,000 and later re-sold by Anonymous for over $250,000.—
David Zane Mairowitz,
Rolling Stone,
22 Dec. 2025
Adverb
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That Hanson so could faithfully and conspiratorially convey that in her naturalistic, uncontrived images came from a place of friendship.—
Mark Holgate,
Vogue,
5 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
Fox said the exchange between him and Wasser when he was called back to the restaurant took about 10-12 seconds, but defense attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo suggested on Monday that the pair may have surreptitiously searched the backpack at that time and found the gun — or potentially planted it.—
Ben Brachfeld,
PEOPLE,
9 Dec. 2025
-
In a way, I am being surreptitiously employed by the owner for two minutes.—
Francesco Pacifico,
The Dial,
9 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Covertly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/covertly. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
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