secrete

as in to conceal
to put into a hiding place the police found the weapon secreted under the driver's seat of the getaway car

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word secrete distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of secrete are bury, conceal, hide, and screen. While all these words mean "to withhold or withdraw from sight," secrete suggests a depositing in a place unknown to others.

secreted the amulet inside his shirt

Where would bury be a reasonable alternative to secrete?

The words bury and secrete can be used in similar contexts, but bury implies covering up so as to hide completely.

buried the treasure

In what contexts can conceal take the place of secrete?

In some situations, the words conceal and secrete are roughly equivalent. However, conceal usually does imply intent and often specifically implies a refusal to divulge.

concealed the weapon

When might hide be a better fit than secrete?

While in some cases nearly identical to secrete, hide may or may not suggest intent.

hide in the closet
a house hidden in the woods

When could screen be used to replace secrete?

While the synonyms screen and secrete are close in meaning, screen implies an interposing of something that prevents discovery.

a house screened by trees

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 secrete Melatonin Melatonin is a hormone secreted primarily by the pineal gland (located deep in the brain). Heather Jones, Verywell Health, 10 Oct. 2025 Or is there something murkier here, the leftovers of words or ideas secreted behind the picture frames or even in the very walls themselves? Katie Da Cunha Lewin september 26, Literary Hub, 26 Sep. 2025 Sweat secreted during exercise flows along the microfluidic structures and fills each chamber in order. Hannah Millington, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025 The long-acting amylin analogue which works by mimicking a hormone that is co-secreted with insulin in the pancreas to increase satiety. Karen Gilchrist, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for secrete
Recent Examples of Synonyms for secrete
Verb
  • Christina Leona Cowens, 41, was initially arrested last week on suspicion of felony grand theft, along with misdemeanor counts of unlawful disposal of human remains and attempting to conceal a death.
    Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 11 Nov. 2025
  • People get in the bathtub, think something, bathe themselves and then stand up from the bathwater, all of this is rather ordinary, but even the most ordinary thing in this world can conceal considerable danger.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • But most of the time, hiding stuff from them doesn't work.
    KiMi Robinson, USA Today, 11 Nov. 2025
  • Oscar’s grouchy shell hides a strangely tender soul, which is classic Scorpio.
    Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 10 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • There is no dignity, and no justice, in a system that buries an elderly woman alive in silence.
    Kim Aris, Time, 7 Nov. 2025
  • Researchers at Queen Mary University of London and University College London have found that humans can detect objects buried in sand without directly touching them.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 7 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Secrete.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/secrete. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.

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