Keeping Secrets: English Vocabulary List

a secret reason behind a plan or action

"The politician has a hidden agenda."

"The politician has a hidden agenda and his public statements do not reveal his true intentions."

said to ask someone to keep a conversation secret

"Between you and me, I think she is going to resign."

"Between you and me, the merger was in trouble long before the official announcement was made."

to tell other people what is supposed to stay secret

"Do not breathe a word about this to anyone."

"Please do not breathe a word about this secret to anyone because it could ruin the surprise party."

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

"There is a conspiracy of silence about the accident."

"There seems to be a conspiracy of silence among the staff about what really happened to the missing money from the safe."

to control a situation and stop it from getting worse

"Keep a lid on the news for now."

"The government tried to keep a lid on the scandal but the newspapers found out anyway."

to refrain from revealing one's true intentions or plans

"He keeps his cards close to his chest."

"The experienced negotiator kept his cards close to his chest and did not reveal his best offer until the very end."

to avoid sharing a secret with others

"Please keep it under your hat."

"I am planning a surprise birthday party for my best friend, so please keep it under your hat and do not tell anyone at work."

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

"The witness decided to stay schtum."

"The witness decided to stay schtum about what he had seen because he was afraid of being hurt by the criminals."

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

"Do not tell anyone about the surprise — mum is the word."

"The restructuring plans were strictly confidential — mum was the word until the board was ready to inform staff."

used when one says that one will not reveal secret information

"My lips are sealed now."

"Don't worry about me telling anyone your secret because my lips are sealed and I will never say a word."

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

"Everyone has a skeleton in the closet."

"Every family has a skeleton in the closet that they do not like to talk about openly with outsiders."

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

"Don't repeat this outside these four walls."

"What is said within these four walls stays here so please speak freely and honestly about any concerns you have."

to share information that is secret or private

"She told tales outside school."

"He was warned not to tell tales out of school about the company's internal problems."

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

"He keeps his own counsel."

"During the heated board meeting, the experienced director chose to keep his own counsel until all facts were presented."

to not let other people know about something

"They kept the affair dark."

"The couple kept their engagement dark for several months before finally announcing it to their families and friends."

a person who can be trusted with one's secrets

"She is as close as an oyster."

"You can tell him anything because he is as close as an oyster and will never reveal your secrets."

to conceal or destroy evidence of one's activities or whereabouts to avoid detection or punishment

"He tried to cover his tracks."

"The thief wore gloves and deleted the files to cover his tracks before the police could investigate the crime."

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

"They tried to paper over the cracks."

"The government tried to paper over the cracks instead of addressing the real causes of the problem."

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

"The product is being kept under wraps."

"The company kept the new product under wraps until the official launch date so that competitors could not copy it."

a piece of personal or private information that one refuses to share with anyone

"The recipe is a trade secret."

"The exact ingredients for this unique perfume are a closely guarded trade secret."

to not let something become revealed to others

"Keep a lid on it."

"The company is trying to keep a lid on the negative publicity surrounding the product recall."