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 Hugo is the one pulling the strings behind the scenes to arrange for Daniel’s theft of the top secret materials. — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 13 June 2026 The indictment claims that the entries included sensitive information up to the top secret and sensitive compartmented information level, a designation that means it was derived from sensitive intelligence sources. — Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 4 June 2026 Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks kept Mickey Mouse top secret after a studio fallout had recently left Disney without the rights to his earlier creations. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 May 2026 Taylor, along with Eaddy Kiernan Bunzel and the rest of the events team, spends practically all of April in a conference room at the Vogue office, going over the seating chart, which lives on a large poster board that is kept top secret. — Madeleine Luckel, Vogue, 2 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for top secret
Recent Examples of Synonyms for top secret
  1. confidential
  2. restricted
  3. personal
  4. classified
  5. private
  6. esoteric
Adjective
  • Fred Tsao, senior policy counsel at the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, said the administration’s initiative to fight election fraud does not justify the collection of confidential voter information.
    — Allison Kiehl, Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Crucially, privacy is a major concern, as AI chats are typically not confidential and can be accessed or used by developers.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of confidential
Adjective
  • For Cheogyal, now, leaving his restricted homeland for Dharamsala has been like stepping into a new world where his culture – and celebration of its spiritual leader – are all around him.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Emphasizing that any drone can be a threat in a restricted area, the FBI referred to an incident last year during the LA fires when a man flew his drone into a Super Scooper water dropping airship, grounding it for five days.
    — Tom Wait, CBS News, 30 July 2026
Definition of restricted
Adjective
  • The article emphasizes that leaders must prioritize organizational interventions, such as de-emphasizing long hours and offering clinical sleep support like CBT-I, rather than just personal solutions.
    — Mena Mirhom, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Engle then diverted the money to personal purchases, including a yacht, vehicles, jewelry, and other luxury items, authorities said.
    — Doug Myers, CBS News, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of personal
Adjective
  • Hur, following his investigation into Biden’s alleged mishandling of classified documents, released a lengthy report in February 2024 that concluded no criminal charges were warranted against Biden.
    — Antonio Pequeño IV, Forbes.com, 30 July 2026
  • Unlike traditional immigration proceedings, the court allows judges to review classified evidence in closed proceedings, while providing the respondent only an unclassified summary of the allegations.
    — Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 30 July 2026
Definition of classified
Adjective
  • For context, the median private SaaS company generates about $141,000 of revenue per employee, while the leading AI-native companies are running at twenty times that or more.
    — Michael Wee, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Greece’s firefighting department said Sunday the fire apparently began from sparks emitted by a faulty power line transporting electricity from a private wind generator facility to the main electricity network.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of private
Adjective
  • With all that group experience and wealth of individual styles, Play Time try something entirely different for their debut album on the admirably esoteric Balmat label.
    — Reed Jackson, SPIN, 3 July 2026
  • This offers the do-it-yourself warrior a simple, direct route from antiquated lead-acid to state-of-the-art lithium without having to search for esoteric parts online.
    — Malana VanTyler, USA Today, 24 June 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 4 Aug. 2026.

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