on the sly
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.
The math-proficiency analysis suggests it may be doing so on the sly.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 30, 2025
Some people were there to raise money on the sly, and given the big money behind WelcomeFest, it wasn’t a bad idea.
From Slate ● Jun. 9, 2025
We were forbidden to speak Urdu, but my mother still taught us on the sly.
From New York Times ● Mar. 1, 2024
He was paroled from detention but banned from work and national health insurance, though he worked on the sly until about eight years ago, when the government started to tighten controls over parolees.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2023
He spent his time reading Jaime’s books, which Blanca brought him on the sly, and listening to the street sounds and to the whisper of the radio, which he kept at the lowest volume.
From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende
