covertly

[koh-vert-lee, koh-vert-]

adverb

1. in a way that is concealed or disguised; secretly.

   The witness alleges that the FBI asked him to covertly record conversations with his boss in a bid to tie him to a criminal hacking conspiracy.

Word History and Origins

Origin of covertly¹

covert ( def. ) + -ly

Example Sentences

The following year Ms Wilson, who was a politics student and champion athlete at the university, released audio on X of a conversation with McFarlane she covertly captured after the attacks.

From BBC

In their near-perfect exploration of how antiquated tropes have covertly transformed, bleeding into a new generation’s quest for romance, Gordon and Brooks cleverly subvert expectations at every turn.

From Salon

In this conversation, as in their book, Bob and Evyatar explore how Israel’s spy agency, the Mossad, has worked covertly to undermine Iran’s nuclear program and to reshape the region in Israel’s strategic interests.

From Salon

After the raid, we went back to the shop, covertly.

From BBC

Wolverhampton Crown Court heard he covertly filmed children using hidden cameras on some of these trips.

From BBC

Related Words

• clandestinely www.thesaurus.com
• secretly 
• surreptitiously