SECRETIVELY Synonyms: 27 Similar and Opposite Words

secretively

adverb

Definition of secretively

as in furtively

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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 secretively And the regime has trustees in many surrounding nations who secretively conduct transactions for the regime in the form of US dollars, cryptocurrency or other means to avoid detection, according to Brown. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026 The state, in partnership with the federal government, built the camp quickly and secretively and opened it in July. — Eve Samples, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 June 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for secretively

Adverb

There are cities where rats are glimpsed at night, furtively scurrying into a dark corner or among the train tracks.

— David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 18 Sep. 2026
Jordan may wish to exact revenge, and Eddy may want to find one of the victims who has vanished, but both have to go about their work furtively.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of furtively

Adverb

The spread of the video was aided by clippers, accounts that post hundreds of clips in a single day and are paid by companies to stealthily link these viral moments to their platforms.

— CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026
Wolf’s Shinobi Prosthetic houses a grappling hook for scaling rooftops, leaping between trees, and approaching enemies stealthily.

— Aman Kumar, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of stealthily

Adverb

Among the most intriguing possibilities, Brouhard said, is that Gulf nations exporting oil are surreptitiously paying Iran fees in exchange for safe transit through the Strait of Hormuz – even as they’re secured by US military escorts.

— David Goldman, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026
In the first image above, Wardle can be seen using a simple terminal command to surreptitiously send a prompt to the Meta endpoint.

— Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of surreptitiously

Adverb

That’s progress but doesn’t really address people’s primary concerns about the glasses being used to covertly record people in public.

— Victoria Song, The Verge, 23 Sep. 2026
Because submarines can operate covertly for extended periods, additional missile capacity can give commanders greater flexibility while keeping the launch platform difficult to detect.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of covertly

Adverb

It may be branded a Gen Z series, but FX’s Adults is sneakily quite a throwback.

— Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026
But then there are the bad habits that can sneakily sabotage our skin, and when wrinkles are looming, things get a little more personal.

— Elizabeth Siegel, Allure, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of sneakily

Adverb

Because Iran is a theocratic dictatorship that routinely arrests and in some cases executes journalists, Western reporters hoping to cover the country must either work clandestinely or submit to government supervision.

— James Kirchick, The Atlantic, 29 July 2026
Soon afterward, social media commenters were speculating about whether Sierra broke into the office or was caught clandestinely shredding documents.

— Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 10 July 2026

Definition of clandestinely

Adverb

Built and expanded over centuries, Derinkuyu offered a haven for entire communities to vanish underground during times of war or religious persecution, sealing themselves in behind massive stone doors.

— Maya Chawla, Architectural Digest, 12 Oct. 2026
Slickwater uses a mix of water, sand, and thin, friction-reducing chemicals rather than thicker gels to shatter dense shale rock deep underground and free the gas.

— Jordan Blum, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of underground

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“Secretively.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/secretively. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of secretively

adverb

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