Archaeologists secretly excavated the site at night to avoid alerting looters who might destroy the fragile artifacts.
考古学家在夜间秘密挖掘该遗址，以避免惊动可能破坏脆弱文物的盗贼。
Which choice best defines “secretly”?
A — In a way that is hidden from others. “secretly” means in a way that is hidden from others.
Which word means “in a way that is hidden from others”?
D — secretly. “secretly” means in a way that is hidden from others.
secretly — in a way that is hidden from others. In Chinese: 秘密地.
secretly is pronounced /ˈsiːkrətli/.
Archaeologists secretly excavated the site at night to avoid alerting looters who might destroy the fragile artifacts. (考古学家在夜间秘密挖掘该遗址，以避免惊动可能破坏脆弱文物的盗贼。)
covertly, clandestinely, stealthily — all close in meaning to secretly (in a way that is hidden from others).
openly, publicly — each the opposite of secretly (in a way that is hidden from others).
Yes. secretly is on the SAT Prep Basic list — the everyday academic words the SAT assumes you already have. The Digital SAT does not test vocabulary in isolation; words like this one are tested through Words in Context questions, where you choose the word that completes a passage most logically and precisely.