as in clandestinely
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Recent Examples of covertly
According to the Financial times, Cowgill was covertly filmed in 2021 in the front seat of a black Mercedes talking to Footasylum chief executive Barry Bown.
—
Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 11 May 2026
Questions persist about accountability and transparency in drone programs, particularly those operated covertly by intelligence agencies rather than traditional armed forces.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 May 2026
Both of the crude oil tankers turned off their Automatic Information System transponders weeks ago and were operating covertly.
—CBS News, 8 May 2026
To help pay the informants covertly, prosecutors say SPLC illegally set up shell accounts in order to funnel funds their way -- with a total of more than $3 million going to informants between 2014 and 2023.
—Alexander Mallin, ABC News, 21 Apr. 2026
The company claimed to be hunting for evidence that Musk was covertly funding its critics.
—Ronan Farrow, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Mohan advocates for his care and attempts to covertly give the patient free supplies.
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026
The Baath Party was also displeased by the open secret that Iran – as well as Israel and the United States – was covertly supporting the Kurds in its fight against the Iraqi central government.
—Lily Hindy, The Conversation, 12 Mar. 2026
In recent years, Tehran’s digital warriors have impersonated American activists online to covertly encourage protests against Israel on college campuses.
—David Klepper, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2026
Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 11 May 2026
Questions persist about accountability and transparency in drone programs, particularly those operated covertly by intelligence agencies rather than traditional armed forces.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 May 2026
Both of the crude oil tankers turned off their Automatic Information System transponders weeks ago and were operating covertly.
—CBS News, 8 May 2026
To help pay the informants covertly, prosecutors say SPLC illegally set up shell accounts in order to funnel funds their way -- with a total of more than $3 million going to informants between 2014 and 2023.
—Alexander Mallin, ABC News, 21 Apr. 2026
The company claimed to be hunting for evidence that Musk was covertly funding its critics.
—Ronan Farrow, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Mohan advocates for his care and attempts to covertly give the patient free supplies.
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026
The Baath Party was also displeased by the open secret that Iran – as well as Israel and the United States – was covertly supporting the Kurds in its fight against the Iraqi central government.
—Lily Hindy, The Conversation, 12 Mar. 2026
In recent years, Tehran’s digital warriors have impersonated American activists online to covertly encourage protests against Israel on college campuses.
—David Klepper, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for covertly
Adverb
-
Other examples of politically motivated pirate radio can be found around the world, some of them clandestinely backed by governmental intelligence agencies, but many of them existing as truly grassroots endeavors.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The audio recordings, shared by outlets including VSquare, Frontstory, Delfi Estonia, the Insider, and the Investigative Centre of Jan Kuciak, seem to have been clandestinely gathered.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
That Hanson so could faithfully and conspiratorially convey that in her naturalistic, uncontrived images came from a place of friendship.—
Mark Holgate,
Vogue,
5 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
Haslach also admitted to surreptitiously taking a photo of a minor in a swimsuit by positioning his cellphone under a classroom desk.—
Nick Ferraro,
Twin Cities,
1 May 2026
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Sometimes the batteries on the trackers would run low, and McGovern’s team would need to remove and recharge the devices, before surreptitiously replacing them.—
Ed Caesar,
New Yorker,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Covertly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/covertly. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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