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
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Recent Examples of secretly
Jackson is aghast when Wahlberg shows up fat and scraggly for filming, ultimately firing him and hiring Ryan Gosling, who secretly thinks Wahlberg had the right idea but decides to keep his mouth shut.
—
Joe Reid, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2026
Sammy, a troubled 13-year-old, secretly enlists against his mother’s wishes — seduced by promises of purpose, patriotism, and notoriety.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 12 Mar. 2026
The government goes to dig them up and to secretly move them to a place and doesn’t tell anybody.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 12 Mar. 2026
Zendaya is thought to have secretly tied the knot with her longtime partner, Tom Holland.
—Hannah Malach, InStyle, 12 Mar. 2026
During a tense trip to the bank, Connie risks everything to secretly alert authorities, setting off a frantic search.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 11 Mar. 2026
The malware will then download a program to secretly harness the Android phone to mine the Monero cryptocurrency.
—Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 10 Mar. 2026
Look for a Little Green Bottle This regular bottled martini has been secretly rolling out in stores for the past month.
—Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Mar. 2026
In fact, assistance from others or the practical or financial support from someone might secretly benefit you.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 9 Mar. 2026
Joe Reid, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2026
Sammy, a troubled 13-year-old, secretly enlists against his mother’s wishes — seduced by promises of purpose, patriotism, and notoriety.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 12 Mar. 2026
The government goes to dig them up and to secretly move them to a place and doesn’t tell anybody.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 12 Mar. 2026
Zendaya is thought to have secretly tied the knot with her longtime partner, Tom Holland.
—Hannah Malach, InStyle, 12 Mar. 2026
During a tense trip to the bank, Connie risks everything to secretly alert authorities, setting off a frantic search.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 11 Mar. 2026
The malware will then download a program to secretly harness the Android phone to mine the Monero cryptocurrency.
—Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 10 Mar. 2026
Look for a Little Green Bottle This regular bottled martini has been secretly rolling out in stores for the past month.
—Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Mar. 2026
In fact, assistance from others or the practical or financial support from someone might secretly benefit you.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 9 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for secretly
Adverb
-
Alongside their discussions, the cardinals had also been meeting privately for dinners in the restaurants of the Borgo Pio medieval quarter near the Vatican and at one another’s apartments and residences in Rome.—
Christopher Lamb,
CNN Money,
14 Mar. 2026
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In new luxury development, transactions increasingly happen privately before any listing is ever made public.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
14 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
He was not allowed to review medical records, examine facility health policies, assess staffing levels or speak confidentially with detainees.—
Alexandra Mendoza,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Mar. 2026
-
The Times has also learned that, soon after the collapse of AllHere in June of 2024, the district commissioned an outside law firm to investigate confidentially the procurement process that led to the company’s selection.—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Secretly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/secretly. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
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