In secret means secretly, so that certain people don't find out. The choir rehearsed in secret so the farewell performance would be a surprise. It works for feelings too: In secret, he still hoped his first painting would win a prize.
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meet, plan, prepare or do something + in secret
- The choir rehearsed in secret so the farewell performance would be a surprise.
- They met in secret to discuss buying the old cinema.
- In secret, he still hoped that his first painting would win a prize.
What changed
First versionWe prepared the anniversary video in a secret.
RevisionWe prepared the anniversary video in secret.
Secret is usually a countable noun, a secret, so an article slips in: in a secret. But the fixed phrase has none: in secret. With an article, secret is the thing itself: keep it a secret, tell me a secret.
In private hides the listeners, not the event: everyone may know you're having a closed meeting, they just aren't in it. In secret hides the fact itself: nobody should know the meeting happened. Secretly says the same in one word: they secretly met.
Your turn
They arranged the surprise visit ___ so that Grandma wouldn't find out.
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in secret — Grandma mustn't know about the visit at all, so it's in secret. In private only means without other people present.
Describe preparing a surprise the other person doesn't know about yet, using in secret.
Her classmates recorded a thank-you message in secret before the teacher's final lesson.
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