top secret

adjective

Definition of top secretnext
as in confidential
kept completely hidden from the public by high government officials top secret documents The mission is top secret.

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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 top secret Is there a category that is above top secret that even those in the highest echelons don’t know about it? — Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 10 Aug. 2026 The planning and details of the meeting were supposed to be kept top secret because of its highly sensitive nature. — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 7 Aug. 2026 Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding was so top secret that even one of their celebrity guests, Pat McAfee, initially thought his digital invitation was a scam. — Juliana Ukiomogbe, InStyle, 15 July 2026 Most of the information in question was classified as top secret, according to the indictment. — Erin Mansfield, USA Today, 26 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for top secret
Recent Examples of Synonyms for top secret
  1. confidential
  2. personal
  3. restricted
  4. classified
  5. private
  6. esoteric
Adjective
  • And a later district filing to the state acknowledged that more than 500 people who worked for district contractors likely had Social Security numbers and other confidential information exposed.
    — Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Ziccarelli said that Cochran claimed the charges were withdrawn because the defendant was working as a confidential informant.
    — Mike Darnay, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of confidential
Adjective
  • Hemsworth’s work has always spanned genres—just look at his omnivorous DJ sets—but Numbskull positions him as a more traditional songwriter, underscored by the album’s personal, earnest tone.
    — Mehan Jayasuriya, Pitchfork, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The magnitude of the devastation is made personal for all of us.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of personal
Adjective
  • Drying towels separately prevents longer drying times caused by restricted airflow and moisture differences.
    — Maria Sabella, The Spruce, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The policy prohibited speakers from directing remarks to individual council members and restricted comments considered personal or abusive.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of restricted
Adjective
  • The memo stresses that troops are forbidden from using both classified and unclassified but nonpublic information to make trades on platforms like Polymarket and Kalshi.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The new Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea series follows brilliant ocean scientist Lee Crane (Ridley), who is pulled into a classified government program after a catastrophic Arctic expedition claims the life of her twin sister.
    — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of classified
Adjective
  • Debt acts as a ceiling on private investment, further stifling growth.
    — Masood Ahmed, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The spending was channelled through private contractor Chemonics.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of private
Adjective
  • Allow a chess player who’s a nerd to find some references in Wu… Iron Man was kind of esoteric.
    — John Kennedy, VIBE.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • There’s as much effort gone into the food as there is the drinks menu, and the esoteric array of tropical flavors straddles both impressively.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of esoteric

Browse Nearby Words

tops
top secret
top-shelf
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Cite this Entry

“Top secret.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/top%20secret. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

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