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 was inspired by a social-media post with research showing AI agents linked to OpenAI had secretly messaged each other using obscure German websites in May.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
In a report in July, the PIJ claimed the bureau had received a complaint alleging US intelligence believed top Malawi military personnel may have helped to secretly funnel heavy weaponry to Sudan.
From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026
Panorama secretly filmed at a market in Essex to find out how easy it is to buy a plate in breach of the rules.
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026
To secretly persuade his young students to put on a musical about the horrors of 9/11 and its aftermath that’s certain to cause controversy and get the principal in trouble.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
It was as if he were a changeling, a troubled child not so secretly adopted by the Icelanders, but with love and without foreboding.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
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.
