hush-hush
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of hush-hush
First recorded in 1915–20; reduplication based on hush
Vocabulary lists containing hush-hush
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.
Gerko often posts acerbic barbs on LinkedIn about XTX’s rivals, making him an unusually vocal figure in the hush-hush world of computerized traders.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 23, 2026
We witnessed a rarity in the House this week: A public “trial” before the usually hush-hush House Ethics Committee.
From Slate ● Mar. 28, 2026
Sides said the whole experience was "hush-hush" and all she had been told was that the job involved recreating a dance competition.
From BBC ● Feb. 18, 2026
The hush-hush arrival of the couple’s newest family member shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise considering they have mostly kept details of their private life away from the public eye.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 4, 2025
It was so hush-hush that she and William could barely discuss it.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
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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.