as in surreptitiously
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Recent Examples of furtively
Unlike Monday's burial for Princess Irene, which follows a Saturday prayer service in Madrid and a funeral Monday at Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens, the Tatoi interment for Sofia's mother, Queen Federica of Greece, was not official, and took place almost furtively.
—
Diego Parrado, Vanity Fair, 18 Jan. 2026
This has become the central theme of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City—probably the most chaotic show in its franchise—whose characters are always trying to root out which of their frenemies is furtively digging up dirt and spreading rumors about their legal or financial woes.
—Judy Berman, Time, 5 Nov. 2025
Changing congressional maps in a bid to ensure one party’s victory over another — called gerrymandering — has typically been done more furtively.
—Jesse Bedayn, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2025
Diego Parrado, Vanity Fair, 18 Jan. 2026
This has become the central theme of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City—probably the most chaotic show in its franchise—whose characters are always trying to root out which of their frenemies is furtively digging up dirt and spreading rumors about their legal or financial woes.
—Judy Berman, Time, 5 Nov. 2025
Changing congressional maps in a bid to ensure one party’s victory over another — called gerrymandering — has typically been done more furtively.
—Jesse Bedayn, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for furtively
Adverb
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Also, strong steps against the Russian shadow fleet that surreptitiously transports energy products, designation of Russia as a State Sponsor of Terrorism, and other economic measures strongly penalizing Russia and aiding Ukraine.—
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal,
Hartford Courant,
28 Feb. 2026
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Callella, 42, is accused of using a voice over internet protocol text and call application to surreptitiously reach out to the family, but authorities were able to link the phone number to his email address and, later, his residence, according to the complaint.—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
Adverb
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Do these pictures stealthily undermine that brand of autocracy because Foto Estudio Luisita was a feminist enterprise where women made images of women?—
Bryan Barcena,
Artforum,
1 Mar. 2026
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Her wardrobe has taken a less trendy, more stealthily-chic focus.—
Christian Allaire,
Vogue,
26 Feb. 2026
Adverb
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Early modern Europe was not an ideal place to enforce intellectual property rights, which in those days existed only when technologies could be secretively monopolized by a guild.—
Niall Ferguson,
Foreign Affairs,
15 Aug. 2017
Adverb
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There are fun villains; Reggie’s nemesis is a sneakily vicious NFL alum (Craig Robinson) with the splendid name Jerry Basmati.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
20 Feb. 2026
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With a comfy design and a sleek hue, the trend is sneakily elegant and easy to mix and match with other closet staples.—
Nicol Natale,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
Adverb
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The feature was shot over twenty-eight days, covertly, mostly within the confines of the van.—
Cora Engelbrecht,
New Yorker,
1 Mar. 2026
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The film, which was shot covertly in Iran, is steeped in a language of resistance against the notoriously repressive Iranian regime.—
Mason Leib,
ABC News,
27 Feb. 2026
Adverb
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Under Cuba’s penal code, people who clandestinely enter Cuba to commit terrorism can be punished by death or life in prison.—
Syra Ortiz Blanes,
Miami Herald,
4 Mar. 2026
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The group was largely defeated in 2019, but some elements still operate clandestinely in Syria and Iraq.—
Nadeen Ebrahim,
CNN Money,
25 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Furtively.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/furtively. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
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