1
as in confidential
not known or meant to be known by the general populace
the reporter suspected there was a hush-hush reason why the company agreed to the deal
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in clandestine
undertaken or done so as to escape being observed or known by others
top-echelon diplomats met in a hush-hush conference in a last-ditch effort to head off an international crisis
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hush-hush
To keep things hush-hush, agents lean on the luxury world’s usual playbook of discretion.
—
Spencer Elliott, Forbes.com, 13 Feb. 2026
Other teams Many teams and designers are keeping hush-hush about their looks.
—Stefanie Dazio, Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2026
Jenner has since begun dating film star TimotheÌe Chalamet, in a once-hush-hush but now public relationship.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 1 Feb. 2026
Vince Gilligan was very hush-hush about Pluribus for the longest time.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 17 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hush-hush
Spencer Elliott, Forbes.com, 13 Feb. 2026
Other teams Many teams and designers are keeping hush-hush about their looks.
—Stefanie Dazio, Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2026
Jenner has since begun dating film star TimotheÌe Chalamet, in a once-hush-hush but now public relationship.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 1 Feb. 2026
Vince Gilligan was very hush-hush about Pluribus for the longest time.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 17 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hush-hush
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hush-hush
Adjective
-
Grand jury proceedings, a rare occurrence for criminal cases in Iowa, are generally kept confidential.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2026
-
The confidential agreement was confirmed in court documents and during a hearing Wednesday in Wyandotte County District Court.—
Judy L. Thomas,
Kansas City Star,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
For decades, there’s been a quasi-clandestine accord about expanding oil drilling in the Gulf.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Apr. 2026
-
This clandestine supply chain eventually provided thousands of muskets, field artillery and millions of pounds of gunpowder that made possible the 1777 victory at Saratoga and France’s subsequent formal alliance.—
Christopher Magra,
The Conversation,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Their stories weave together fallout, the Cold War and secret government agencies, international aid workers and scientists, and everyday life in the Anthropocene.—
Magdalena Stawkowski,
The Conversation,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Additionally through Wondaland Arts Society, Monáe produces Wondaween, a month-long, city-wide Halloween festival to Los Angeles, which spans cemeteries, theaters, secret locations, the Hollywood Bowl and Santa Monica Pier.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Israeli air forces carrying out a strike on Tehran killed the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' undercover expeditionary unit, the Israel Defense Forces said today.—
Max Burman,
NBC news,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Per the complaint, Gay admitted to engaging in text and Reddit conversations with the undercover account after being read his Miranda rights.—
Nick Lentz,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Tarrant County Commissioners are set to discuss giving up control of a private road in northwest Tarrant County that is being maintained with county tax dollars.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Fox, 64, has worked for decades with Parkinson’s disease, which he was diagnosed with at age 29 in the early 1990s but kept private until 1998.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Get Ready: Katy Perry Has Released a Sneak Peek of Her New Song And the internet has receipts.—
Mehera Bonner,
Marie Claire,
15 Mar. 2017
Adjective
-
Other such discrimination is more covert.—
Alison Somin,
Oc Register,
10 Apr. 2026
-
The hypoallergenic, 100-percent cotton fabric provides a breathable option for covert breastfeeding.—
Pamela Brill,
Parents,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
With funding from the Global Environment Facility, or GEF, the Djibouti government spent $150,000 digging a borehole to access underground water and another $100,000 fitting it with a solar pump that would fill a series of large concrete water tanks.—
Julie Bourdin,
NPR,
11 Apr. 2026
-
The Pelham Boulevard reconstruction project will replace underground utilities, sidewalks, street surface, curbs, lighting and pedestrian ramps.—
Imani Cruzen,
Twin Cities,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hush-hush.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hush-hush. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
