on the quiet

ADJECTIVE

clandestine

Synonyms

STRONGEST

covert fraudulent furtive hidden hush-hush illicit surreptitious underground

WEAK

artful cloak-and-dagger closet concealed foxy illegitimate in holes and corners on the Q.T. private sneaky stealthy under wraps under-the-counter undercover underhand

Antonyms

STRONGEST

aboveboard authorized honest known legal open public

WEAK

forthright truthful

ADJECTIVE

lubricious

Synonyms

WEAK

clandestine concealed crafty crooked cunning deceptive devious dirty-dealing dishonest dishonorable disingenuous double-crossing duplicitous fraudulent furtive guileful hush-hush indirect insidious oblique on the Q.T. secret secretive shady shifty slippery sly sneaking sneaky stealthy surreptitious treacherous tricky two-faced two-timing under wraps undercover underhanded unethical unfair unjust unscrupulous wily

ADJECTIVE

underhand

Synonyms

STRONG

underhanded

WEAK

clandestine concealed crafty crooked cunning deceptive devious dirty-dealing dishonest dishonorable double-crossing duplicitous fraudulent furtive guileful hush-hush indirect insidious oblique on the Q.T. secret secretive shady shifty slippery sly sneaking sneaky stealthy sub-rosa surreptitious treacherous tricky two-faced two-timing under wraps undercover unethical unfair unjust unscrupulous wily

Antonyms

WEAK

aboveboard forthright frank honest

ADVERB

covertly

Synonyms

STRONGEST

clandestinely secretly surreptitiously

WEAK

by stealth furtively hush-hush in camera in holes and corners on the Q.T. on the sly privately slyly stealthily sub-rosa under wraps undercover wildcat

Antonyms

WEAK

candidly frankly honestly openly overtly publicly

ADVERB

secretly

Synonyms

STRONGEST

clandestinely covertly furtively personally privately quietly stealthily surreptitiously

WEAK

behind closed doors behind someone's back by stealth confidentially hush-hush in camera in confidence in holes and corners in secret in strict confidence insidiously intimately obscurely on the Q.T. on the sly privily slyly sub-rosa under the table underhandedly unobserved

Antonyms

STRONGEST

publicly

WEAK

openly

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.

Nancy Guthrie's disappearance has garnered wall-to-wall coverage in US media, with dozens of reporters and camera crews descending on the quiet Arizona suburb where she lives.

From Barron's • Feb. 6, 2026

By the time everyone’s settlers were dutifully collecting wool and ore, the room had taken on the quiet, dazed feeling of a long-haul flight.

From Salon • Feb. 3, 2026

Successful teams aren’t necessarily about star talent, but more often depend on the quiet leaders who hold organizations together.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 12, 2025

When news a rare American songbird had been spotted in a sleepy West Yorkshire cul-de-sac eager ornithologists converged on the quiet street faster than a falcon in free fall.

From BBC • Nov. 15, 2024

To prove his point—to himself, at least—he climbed back up on his perch by the back vents and looked out on the quiet neighborhood.

From "Among the Hidden" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

on the quiet

Example Sentences

Related Words