Keeping Secrets

a secret reason behind a plan or action

The politician's support for the new policy was questioned, as many believed he had a hidden agenda to benefit his financial backers.

said to ask someone to keep a conversation secret

Between you and me, I think our boss is planning to resign next month.

to tell other people what is supposed to stay secret

The detective warned the witness not to breathe a word about the ongoing investigation to anyone.

used to refer to an agreement made in order to keep someone from sharing or revealing information that should be otherwise publically known

The members of the organization formed a conspiracy of silence to protect their leader from the allegations of corruption.

to control a situation and stop it from getting worse

The fire department is working hard to keep a lid on the out-of-control bushfire before it spreads further.

to decide to remain silent about something, particularly out of fear of making a situation worse

It was a secret about which the few involved stayed shtum and about which no one else knew.

said as a promise or request to not tell something to anyone else

Mum's the word, or the surprise party won't be a surprise.

something about a person's past that they do not want to reveal or mention because it is embarrassing or unpleasant

He asked if she had any skeletons in her closet that might affect her political campaign.

used to refer to a room, in which a group of people knows or witnesses something that others do not

I don’t want anything repeated outside these four walls.

to share information that is secret or private

You mean Fred?The guy who always tells tales outside school?

to keep one's thoughts or plans to oneself and not share them with others

Despite the heated debate, she preferred to keep her own counsel.

to not let other people know about something

But that was no reason to think she'd go along with keeping their relationship dark.

a person who can be trusted with one's secrets

Sophie will never repeat what you tell her.She's as close as an oyster.

to try to conceal flaws or problems temporarily, without addressing or solving them properly

Conversely, if you have been papering over the cracks of a relationship these same eclipses will seek them out.

to keep something secret or confidential and not to reveal it to others

But officials deny they've been keeping their proposals under wraps.

a piece of important business information or method that a company keeps private to stay competitive

The recipe for their famous sauce is a trade secret.