Synonyms for secretive
ˈsi krɪ tɪv, sɪˈkri-se·cre·tive

WiktionaryRate these synonyms:3.0 / 1 vote

1. secretiveadjective

   Synonyms:
   furtive, sly

2. secretiveadjective

   Having an inclination to secrecy.

   Synonyms:
   furtive, sly

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:5.0 / 1 vote

1. close, closelipped, closemouthed, secretive, tightlippedadjective

   inclined to secrecy or reticence about divulging information

   "although they knew her whereabouts her friends kept close about it"

   Synonyms:
   skinny, tightlipped, cheeseparing, snug, penny-pinching, stuffy, faithful, airless, nigh, close-fitting, close, tight, confining, closemouthed, near, unaired, closelipped

   Antonyms:
   communicative, communicatory

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. secretiveadjective

   Synonyms:
   uncommunicative, taciturn, reserved, silent, wary

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "secretive":

   secret, stealthy, discreet, mysterious, discrete, opaque, reticent, clandestine

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How to use secretive in a sentence?

1. Cardinal Sean O'Malley of Boston:

   Its not a pleasant topic. It's easier just to ignore it and hope it will go away (but) when we are defensive and secretive, the results are disastrous.

2. Anthony Fauci:

   [T]he Chinese are very closed, in a way of being very reluctant, particularly when you have a disease that evolves in their country, they become extremely secretive, even though there’s no reason to be secretive, i think they were very concerned and maybe embarrassed that the virus evolved from their country but there’s nothing wrong with that.

3. Marco Rubio:

   It was n’t State Department officials, State Department was n’t [ Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs ] Roberta Jacobson or John Kerry, it was National Security Council officials, you sent unqualified people to negotiate with hardened, brutal spies and representatives of tyrants... It was negotiated at a secretive level involving agencies under the complete control of the White House, as a political move …. And that mismatch is apparent in this sort of deal that was made.

4. Cardinal Sean O'Malley of Boston:

   It would be perilous for us, as leaders of the Church, to consider that the scandal of clergy sexual abuse is for the most part a matter of history and not a pressing concern here and now, its not a pleasant topic. It's easier just to ignore it and hope it will go away (but) when we are defensive and secretive, the results are disastrous.

5. Jim Boeheim:

   The committee chose to ignore the efforts which I have undertaken over the past 37 years to promote an atmosphere of compliance within the men's basketball program, instead, they chose to focus on the rogue and secretive actions of a former employee of the local YMCA and my former director of basketball operations in order to impose an unprecedented series of penalties upon the university and the men's basketball program.