furtively

[ fur-tiv-lee ]

/ ˈfɜr tɪv li /

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adverb

in a surreptitious, secret, or stealthy way:For decades, people living under Soviet censorship listened furtively to the news from the free world beamed by Radio Free Europe or the Voice of America.Moonshine is untaxed liquor, furtively produced by the light of the moon—or at least out of the immediate reach of law enforcement.

in a sly or shifty way:In the next scene, he darts furtively into a pharmacy storeroom to steal poison.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of furtively

First recorded in 1490–1500; furtive + -ly

Words nearby furtively

further education, furthermore, furthermost, furthest, furtive, furtively, Furtwängler, furuncle, furunculosis, fury, furze

How to use furtively in a sentence

The labels are just one of Apple’s new policies to give users more privacy at the possible expense of the app economy, which largely relies on collecting and selling furtively acquired user data.
Why some like Apple’s new privacy labels, despite their flaws|Sara Morrison|February 19, 2021|Vox
We don’t understand what it’s made of or what its properties are, but it’s out there in the celestial background, furtively holding the Milky Way together.
Brain’s ‘Background Noise’ May Hold Clues to Persistent Mysteries|Elizabeth Landau|February 8, 2021|Quanta Magazine
I still remember, years ago, furtively kissing my girlfriend in my childhood bedroom at my family’s during the holidays.
Hulu’s ‘Happiest Season’ provides queer holiday cheer|Kathi Wolfe|December 11, 2020|Washington Blade
First off, there’s a big difference between furtively flowed mouth sex with George Clooney and having sex with George Clooney.
What It Means When Your Wife Says She Slept With George Clooney|Eugene Robinson|December 8, 2020|Ozy

I had barely seen another human for months, and those were mostly fellow face-masked shoppers on furtive grocery missions.
I Missed Bars. So I Built One in My Own Backyard.|Nick Heil|October 16, 2020|Outside Online
Afterward, Oswald develops the photographs at his job, furtively.
The Man Oswald First Tried to Kill Before JFK|Bill Minutaglio, Steven L. Davis|October 3, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The appeal: they are “judgment-free zones where the like-minded can mingle freely and furtively.”
‘Star Trek’ Dating Websites Cater to Trekkies Looking for Love|Kevin Fallon|May 15, 2013|DAILY BEAST
On the night of Feb. 11, 2011, Sherif Mansour walked onto his balcony, furtively lit a cigarette, and began to cry.
Freedom House NGO Worker Returns to Egypt to Face Trial|Mike Giglio|June 3, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Schon, Michaele once furtively told me, was one of the true loves of her life.
Inside the Salahi Split|Diane Dimond|September 16, 2011|DAILY BEAST
“I think people are furtively hoping that Hillary runs,” she said.
Hillary Told You So|Leslie Bennetts|August 8, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Brisley and Gunn, standing very close together on the bottom step of the stair to the third floor, watched the police furtively.
Dope|Sax Rohmer
On calm days there came sinister vessels that sneaked furtively among the fleet.
The Chequers|James Runciman
Her eyes, veiled behind the long lashes of their drooping lids, followed him furtively.
Mistress Wilding|Rafael Sabatini
Cash would sit and watch him furtively; but Bud was too engrossed with his own misery to notice it.
Cabin Fever|B. M. Bower
Professor Theobald looked furtively round, as if seeking some one, or watching the effect of his conduct on Mrs. Temperley.
The Daughters of Danaus|Mona Caird

furtively

Origin of furtively

Words nearby furtively

Words related to furtively

How to use furtively in a sentence