as in separately
for each person or thing
The two problems should be addressed discretely, as one is unrelated to the other.
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Recent Examples of discretely
The California judge noticed that some Meta employees were wearing Meta smart glasses, which can discretely record sound and video.
—
Dave Lieber
mar. 5, Dallas Morning News, 5 Mar. 2026
Tucked discretely within the hotel, Bar Aristide is the hotel's speakeasy-style hideaway that feels more like a private members' club.
—Susmita Baral, Travel + Leisure, 6 Dec. 2025
Snag this shoe storage cabinet that holds 24 pairs and doubles as an entryway table, or opt for this under-bed solution that discretely keeps shoes and clothes hidden away.
—Rachel Trujillo, PEOPLE, 26 Nov. 2025
Somebody’s dad discretely pulled a Fanta from his bag and opened it with a fizz.
—Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2025
Dave Lieber
mar. 5, Dallas Morning News, 5 Mar. 2026
Tucked discretely within the hotel, Bar Aristide is the hotel's speakeasy-style hideaway that feels more like a private members' club.
—Susmita Baral, Travel + Leisure, 6 Dec. 2025
Snag this shoe storage cabinet that holds 24 pairs and doubles as an entryway table, or opt for this under-bed solution that discretely keeps shoes and clothes hidden away.
—Rachel Trujillo, PEOPLE, 26 Nov. 2025
Somebody’s dad discretely pulled a Fanta from his bag and opened it with a fizz.
—Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discretely
Adverb
-
The budget includes $350 billion in defense spending to be approved separately by Republicans, with additional unspecified funding for military operations in Iran still under discussion.—
Kevin Freking,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Travel the Smiths have taken, together and separately, has come under scrutiny.—
The Denver Post Editorial Board,
Denver Post,
16 Apr. 2026
Adverb
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First, according to the authors of this study, researchers have to understand them individually.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Apr. 2026
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Each of the nine ships in the Windjammer fleet is individually owned and has a distinct personality, with beauty, grace, and speed as the unifying elements.—
Allison Tibaldi,
USA Today,
18 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Discretely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discretely. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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