surreptitiously
Americanadverb
Etymology
Origin of surreptitiously
First recorded in 1580–90; surreptitious ( def. ) + -ly
Explanation
When you're doing things secret and sneakily, you're doing them surreptitiously. This is an adverb that applies to actions that you're trying to do covertly: you don't want anyone to know about them, so you have to be sneaky. Burglars approach a house surreptitiously. If you plan a surprise party for your mother, you have to go about it surreptitiously or she'll find out and the surprise will be ruined. Anything you don't reveal fully or do on the sly is an example of going about it surreptitiously.
Vocabulary lists containing surreptitiously
The Diary of a Young Girl
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Harriet Tubman
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Twilight
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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.
Chipotle also said it was bringing back “mystery shoppers” — generally, people posing surreptitiously as customers — to offer more feedback to restaurant crews.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026
Pegasus can be installed surreptitiously onto a target's smartphone and read messages, geolocate and secretly turn on the device's camera and microphone -- effectively turning the phone into a pocket spy.
From Barron's ● Jul. 16, 2026
The report documents instances that may constitute federal wire fraud, revealing that unsuspecting private donors who intended to support the congressionally chartered foundation were apparently surreptitiously handed Freedom 250’s bank account and routing numbers instead.
From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026
Largely harvested in the wild by foragers—sometimes surreptitiously on private land—in the Northeast and Midwest, they make their way to grocers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 13, 2026
She let it lie there all the way to her stop, but couldn’t resist scooping it up as surreptitiously as possible when she stood to pull the cord.
From "Song of Solomon" by Toni Morrison
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.
