cloak-and-dagger

Examples

• All

• Look, we don't really have to do this cloak-and-dagger stuff, do we?

  Fiction book (1996)

• The meeting had a cloak-and-dagger atmosphere, with everyone whispering and exchanging secret glances.

• I know all the cloak-and-dagger stories.

  The Rock (1996)

• So, why the cloak-and-dagger routine?

  Assassination (1987)

• What's the cloak-and-dagger all about?

  The Client (1994)

• What's with all the cloak-and-dagger?

  Boo 2! A Madea Halloween (2017)

• This whole cloak-and-dagger business, dear, it's scaring me.

  Argylle (2024)

• There's no need for all this cloak-and-dagger stuff.

  Blog text (6)

• If he can let go of the cloak-and-dagger style of previous administrations and get open, smart, innovative people around him, he will prove himself a great leader.

  Blog text (7)

• There's a lot of talk in the latest Bond film, the Sam Mendes-directed Skyfall, about Bond being from another time and the relevancy of an old-school cloak-and-dagger espionage agent in a world of computers and cybercrime.

  Blog text (17)

Synonyms

S

secret

vscloak-and-dagger

∞ 2.0

Hidden so other people do not know about it

suggests secretive intrigue with hidden motives, not just private facts

U

undercover

vscloak-and-dagger

243 6.3

Working secretly to get information about people and groups

focuses more on dramatic intrigue and covert plots than hidden investigations

U

underground

vscloak-and-dagger

153 5.7

Hidden and done secretly to avoid being found by authorities

focuses more on secret intrigue and spylike motives than simple avoidance

C

covert

vscloak-and-dagger

117 6.8

Done secretly to avoid being seen or known

is more about secret intrigue and espionage rather than simple concealment

C

clandestine

vscloak-and-dagger

• Formal

40 8.2

Kept secret because it is illegal or not allowed

adds a sense of intrigue and hidden motives beyond mere illegality

S

stealthy

vscloak-and-dagger

19 6.3

Acting quietly and secretly to avoid being noticed

carries extra sense of intrigue and hidden agendas beyond quiet movement

M

masked

vscloak-and-dagger

15 5.8

Hiding true feelings or intentions so others do not know

implies broader secret schemes and espionage motives rather than mere disguise

H

hush-hush

vscloak-and-dagger

• Informal

13 7.5

People keep it secret from most others to avoid being noticed

is more dramatic and intrigue-filled than casual confidentiality

S

surreptitious

vscloak-and-dagger

7 8.5

Done secretly because people would disapprove

leans more toward dramatic espionage and mysterious motives than quiet secrecy

D

disguised

vscloak-and-dagger

6 4.2

Hidden so people do not know the true identity or purpose

includes that concealment but emphasises intrigue and secret plotting

C

cloaked

vscloak-and-dagger

4 6.8

Hidden so people cannot see the true purpose or meaning

adds emphasis on intrigue, mysterious methods, and espionage context

H

hushed-up

vscloak-and-dagger

1 7.5

People in power keep it secret to hide a problem

is about secret intrigue and espionage rather than institutional coverup

H

hugger-mugger

vscloak-and-dagger

• Archaic

9.9

Done in a secret way to hide plans

carries similar secrecy but often with more theatrical espionage flavour

H

hole-and-corner

vscloak-and-dagger

• Archaic

9.3

A secret way of doing things to hide small dishonest acts

implies bigger scale intrigue and espionage rather than minor dubious acts

How Secret

cloak-and-dagger

• Informal

5 8.9

clandestine

• Formal

40 8.2

covert

117 6.8

secretive

71 4.9

private

∞ 1.8

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology