as in silent
given to keeping one's activities hidden from public observation or knowledge
the intelligence agency remained secretive despite the media's demands for more openness in government
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of secretive
Secret agreements Our research, reviewing nearly 50 public utility commission proceedings about data centers’ power needs across 10 states, uncovered dozens of secretive contracts between utilities and data centers.
—
Eliza Martin, The Conversation, 5 June 2025
These wild animals are shy and secretive in nature, according to the commission.
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 4 June 2025
Image Both companies are secretive about their processes, and have declined most requests to visit their operations.
—Mike Belleme, New York Times, 31 May 2025
Musk’s unorthodox—and often secretive—slash-and-burn tactics often sowed chaos during his tenure in the government.
—Nik Popli, Time, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for secretive
Eliza Martin, The Conversation, 5 June 2025
These wild animals are shy and secretive in nature, according to the commission.
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 4 June 2025
Image Both companies are secretive about their processes, and have declined most requests to visit their operations.
—Mike Belleme, New York Times, 31 May 2025
Musk’s unorthodox—and often secretive—slash-and-burn tactics often sowed chaos during his tenure in the government.
—Nik Popli, Time, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for secretive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for secretive
Adjective
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But most Republicans remained silent, or accused Padilla of being a provocateur.—
James Rainey,
Los Angeles Times,
13 June 2025
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While Sanabria Tarazona’s family has remained silent out of fear Prieto has publicly denounced his detention and urged U.S. authorities to reconsider.—
Verónica Egui Brito,
Miami Herald,
13 June 2025
Adjective
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For those looking to venture farther, Cruz Bay’s private itineraries stretch deep into the BVI, blending gourmet dining, reef diving, and quiet anchorages into one seamless luxurious adventure.—
Tanya Benedicto Klich,
Forbes.com,
15 June 2025
-
Ideally, your room is dark, quiet and cool — think between 65 and 75 degrees.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 June 2025
Adjective
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Some of the women became her close friends, and one became a longtime girlfriend.—
Hannah Goldfield,
New Yorker,
16 June 2025
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Or, that their connection through her stepdad was not close enough to matter.—
Jayme Fraser,
USA Today,
16 June 2025
Adjective
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State and local officials were reticent to weigh in on what the mortgage sale could mean for the Fiserv deal.—
Taylor O’Connor,
Kansas City Star,
30 May 2025
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Among the three, the Raptors have an accurate but reticent 3-point shooter (Ingram), an average shooter at OK frequency (Barrett) and a bad one (Barnes).—
Eric Koreen,
New York Times,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Some supporters felt their club had become too corporate, too cold and too uncommunicative.—
Greg O'Keeffe,
The Athletic,
20 Dec. 2024
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Often, a less qualified candidate who displays high energy and eagerness can outshine a more qualified individual who appears disinterested and uncommunicative.—
Jack Kelly,
Forbes,
25 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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There’s also the closemouthed, menacing technician who lives on a houseboat and raises snakes; the actress first hired for the show’s leading part who dropped out of the role before shooting began; and the unknown burglar who fled the frightened player’s house.—
Tom Nolan,
WSJ,
23 Dec. 2022
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Hutton’s gaptoothed smile replaced the closemouthed gaze and white eyeliner of Vogue models of the 1960s.—
Washington Post,
Washington Post,
25 Dec. 2021
Adjective
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Named for the distinctive dark stripes running across the back of its head, this medium-sized goose is specially adapted for one of the most extreme migrations in the animal kingdom.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
15 June 2025
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Its reversible design features dark stripes on one side made of 92 percent wool, 4 percent polyester, and 4 percent cotton, and the opposite side is made from 100 percent cotton in the solid natural color.—
Caley Sturgill,
Southern Living,
15 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Secretive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/secretive. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.
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