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
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Recent Examples of secretly
Other times, Claude made a different calculus, choosing to play along during the retraining while secretly preserving its original values.
—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
Vionic Uptown Loafers These loafers are the epitome of what Vionic does best—they’re polished, supportive, and secretly built for long days on your feet.
—Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 8 Feb. 2026
Not enough people know that Amazon is secretly a great place to find deals on designer bags, like this gorgeous Kate Spade crossbody.
—Jordan Julian, InStyle, 7 Feb. 2026
Even all of us people who hated the evil empire of Brady-Bill Belichick can’t help but secretly respect this version of the Patriots.
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Feb. 2026
But Poehler opens every episode by secretly calling up a friend of her guest on FaceTime, setting the mood for what she and her audience might be intrigued to learn.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2026
Immediately speaking to both high class, service, and history, the sweet cherry cocktail is curated from a recipe the property secretly served during prohibition.
—Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Feb. 2026
Perhaps that was what Liu secretly wanted.
—Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
The contractor was secretly working with government investigators.
—Steve Patterson, Florida Times-Union, 5 Feb. 2026
Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
Vionic Uptown Loafers These loafers are the epitome of what Vionic does best—they’re polished, supportive, and secretly built for long days on your feet.
—Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 8 Feb. 2026
Not enough people know that Amazon is secretly a great place to find deals on designer bags, like this gorgeous Kate Spade crossbody.
—Jordan Julian, InStyle, 7 Feb. 2026
Even all of us people who hated the evil empire of Brady-Bill Belichick can’t help but secretly respect this version of the Patriots.
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Feb. 2026
But Poehler opens every episode by secretly calling up a friend of her guest on FaceTime, setting the mood for what she and her audience might be intrigued to learn.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2026
Immediately speaking to both high class, service, and history, the sweet cherry cocktail is curated from a recipe the property secretly served during prohibition.
—Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Feb. 2026
Perhaps that was what Liu secretly wanted.
—Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
The contractor was secretly working with government investigators.
—Steve Patterson, Florida Times-Union, 5 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for secretly
Adverb
-
Addressing Gaps in the Market The company’s founder established XPRO Jet Charters after spending years flying privately and experiencing inconsistent service firsthand.—
Ethan Stone,
USA Today,
7 Feb. 2026
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Other areas around the Civic Center were also considered, but many of the properties are privately owned, which is cost-prohibitive, Director of Public Works Dave Webb said.—
Erika I. Ritchie,
Oc Register,
6 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
Detainees have a constitutional right to speak confidentially with an attorney.—
Claudia Boyd-Barrett,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Jan. 2026
-
In April 2023, SeatGeek filed confidentially for an IPO, and even hired bankers for the offering a year later.—
Luisa Beltran,
Sportico.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Secretly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/secretly. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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