Synonyms of secretly

secretly

adverb

as in privately

in a manner intended to prevent knowledge or awareness by others

the girl secretly told her friends about the birthday party so it would be a surprise to the birthday girl

Synonyms & Similar Words

• privately
• confidentially
• in private
• intimately
• backstage
• in camera
• covertly
• clandestinely
• inwardly
• à deux
• tête-à-tête
• surreptitiously
• furtively
• secretively
• stealthily
• sneakily
• conspiratorially
• collusively
• underhandedly
• sotto voce
• undercover
• underground
• offstage
• offscreen
• underhanded
• underhand

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• publicly
• openly

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of secretly

Kate Roberts secretly arranged to dig up dirt on her rival and Sheryl's old friend, Jordan Ridgeway. — Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 10 July 2026

Here are some of our favourite spots, including toddler-friendly options and thrilling attractions for older children to explore, not to mention those that are secretly a lot of fun for adults too. — Will Barker, TheWeek, 9 July 2026

The ban comes as smart glasses, particularly those from Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta, are facing backlash for being able to secretly record people without their consent, a potential privacy violation. — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 9 July 2026

Library Hours Peruse the hardcovers at Livraria Ler, a haven for Lisbon literati since 1970 that, in its early years, secretly sold books banned by the country’s dictatorship. — Adam Erace, Travel + Leisure, 7 July 2026

Luna appeared to reference a long-running conspiracy theory promoted in some right-wing circles that Patriot Front is secretly a federal law enforcement operation or informant network. — Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 6 July 2026

Desperate to get her own revenge, Bang-geul has been secretly working as an intern at Choiseong Group, slowly gathering information that could take the corporation down. — Kayti Burt, Time, 6 July 2026

Harry also thanked his mother, who secretly signed him up for the singing show. — Kirsty Hatcher, PEOPLE, 6 July 2026

That sense of organization is one reason why Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer secretly negotiated a five-year, $40 million contract with Counsell after the 2023 season and then fired David Ross. — Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 29 June 2026