secretly
Americanadverb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of secretly
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
She says it was only as she grew up that she realised what was secretly happening within her community.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
Separately, police officers are also allowed to secretly record conversations if they are “acting within the scope of his or her authority,” according to Seager.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
Pegasus can be installed surreptitiously onto a target's smartphone and read messages, geolocate and secretly turn on the device's camera and microphone -- effectively turning the phone into a pocket spy.
From Barron's ● Jul. 16, 2026
As of last week, the Navy had secretly been helping ships navigate a southerly route farther from Iran’s coast, apparently for free.
From Slate ● Jul. 13, 2026
Then he says, “But that sounds like a song of forbidden love, Reina. That must mean there’s someone here you secretly love.”
From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
