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
• underground
• undercover
• offstage
• offscreen
• underhanded
• underhand

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• publicly
• openly

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of secretly

Isshin disapproves of the use of the Dragon’s Heritage and secretly helps Wolf rescue Kuro by directing his doctor, Emma, to tip off Wolf about Kuro’s location. — Aman Kumar, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Aug. 2026

The effect of the wealth consolidation carefully, and secretly, orchestrated by the SEC and Big 10 has been not catastrophic to those not in these respective leagues, but at least cataclysmic. — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Aug. 2026

Two years later, she and the private businessman secretly got married at a church with just her mom, a pastor, and his wife in attendance after her former manager voiced his concerns that a wedding would be bad for her career. — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 26 Aug. 2026

Department of Homeland Security agents secretly recorded meetings held at churches, libraries, restaurants and schools across the Twin Cities during a surge in federal immigration enforcement last winter, according to government documents. — Brittney Melton, NPR, 25 Aug. 2026

The lesson isn’t that today’s police running license-plate-reading systems are secretly plotting political sabotage. — Karl W. Bickel, Baltimore Sun, 25 Aug. 2026

Her content is mainly focused on chatting up unsuspecting males in public, whose reactions are secretly filmed. — Chris Marshall-Bell, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026

As millions of people buy into the smart glasses fad each year, the odds are increasing that you could be secretly recorded while simply going about your day. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 21 Aug. 2026

Segel also starred opposite Samara Weaving in 2026’s Over Your Dead Body, in which the duo plays a couple who are secretly plotting to kill each other. — Skyler Trepel, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Aug. 2026