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Synonyms

covertly

American  
[koh-vert-lee, koh-vert-] / ˈkoʊ vərt li, koʊˈvərt- /

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.

Etymology

Origin of covertly

covert ( def. ) + -ly

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.

These are old tankers used by Iran and Russia, often sanctioned by the U.S., to covertly ship crude.

From The Wall Street Journal

To procure such drones, "the organisation employs foreign operatives who covertly purchase components in Europe and export them to Lebanon", prosecutors said.

From BBC

Especially for Jay, whose subplot concerns his desire for a musical career apart from this partnership, and includes him covertly planning to perform at an open-mic event in far-off Ottawa.

From The Wall Street Journal

It also relied on a transcript of a recording her ex had covertly made of the encounter on his mobile phone.

From BBC

When the two appear in court on Wednesday, police will allege they worked with a Chinese national charged last August for covertly gathering information on the Guan Yin Citta Buddhist group in Australia's capital, Canberra.

From Barron's

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.