as in silent
given to keeping one's activities hidden from public observation or knowledge
the intelligence agency remained secretive despite the media's demands for more openness in government
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Recent Examples of secretive
Indiana already has a secretive execution process.
—
Kristine Phillips, IndyStar, 6 Jan. 2026
Other officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, supported the move, explaining the secretive nature was necessary to preserve the operation’s integrity.
—Elissa Jorgensen, Dallas Morning News, 3 Jan. 2026
The secretive unit also conducted numerous counterterrorism missions in Afghanistan and elsewhere in the Middle East, targeting senior al-Qaeda figures.
—Michael Dorgan , Rachel Wolf , David Spunt , Lucas Y. Tomlinson, FOXNews.com, 3 Jan. 2026
Currently, China is Venezuela’s top oil customer, according to analysts, but due to the secretive nature of some of those exports exact data is hard to come by.
—Steve Kopack, NBC news, 3 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for secretive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for secretive
Adjective
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As Jaclyn and Kate wax poetic about a dream vacation that never happened, Laurie’s weary, silent glances seem to tee up an explosive confrontation.—
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Tisdale refused to stay silent, and texted the group after being left behind on another plan.—
Adjective
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The lightweight fabric is also quiet, so you won’t be awoken from crinkling material.—
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The family settled in a quiet residential street of older homes and multifamily buildings, some front porches festooned with pride flags still twinkling with holiday lights.—
Adjective
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Traffic concerns remained a prominent theme of the more than 100 emails the city received in early December, but many people expressed excitement at the prospect of a closer Costco.—
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The Clippers raced to a 14-5 lead, but the Knicks answered with eight straight points and the game was close for the first three quarters.—
Adjective
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Adelman has been reticent to use DaRon Holmes II at the NBA level — the Nuggets established a developmental plan for him primarily focused on the G League before the season — but Holmes did appear alongside Zeke Nnaji to start the fourth quarter of Monday’s game in Miami.—
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As such, many are reticent to spend on nonessentials.—
Adjective
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That means overcoming Ella’s hostility and bridging the divide with her uncommunicative kid brother Casey (Spike Fearn), an MIT graduate who has become an agoraphobic shut-in since his breakup with beloved girlfriend Susan (Ayo Edebiri).—
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Whenever Conrad was at his most uncommunicative and avoidant, Jeremiah was waiting in the wings to offer uncomplicated affection and himbo charm.—
Adjective
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There’s also the closemouthed, menacing technician who lives on a houseboat and raises snakes; the actress first hired for the show’s leading part who dropped out of the role before shooting began; and the unknown burglar who fled the frightened player’s house.—
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Hutton’s gaptoothed smile replaced the closemouthed gaze and white eyeliner of Vogue models of the 1960s.—
Adjective
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Don't feel afraid to play with bold (but dark) colors and various materials.—
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Open my soul to the vast dark places.—
Cite this Entry
“Secretive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/secretive. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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