I.
noun
1 sth that must not be known by others
ADJECTIVE
▪ big , great
▪ little
▪ closely guarded , well-kept
▪
a charming museum that is one of the city's best-kept ~s (= that not many people know about)
▪ deep ( esp. AmE ), hidden , inner , innermost , intimate
▪
That evening she had revealed many of her innermost ~s.
▪ open
▪
Their affair is an open ~.
▪ dark , dirty , guilty , shameful , terrible
▪ family , military , nuclear , official , state , trade
VERB + SECRET
▪ have
▪ guard , keep
▪
Can you keep a ~?
▪ hide
▪
Uncle Charlie hides a dark ~.
▪ betray , divulge , give away
▪ let sb in on , let sb into ( BrE ), reveal , share , tell sb
▪
She let us into her secret—she was engaged.
▪ discover , find out , learn , uncover , unlock
▪ know
▪ remain
▪
Their relationship remained a ~.
SECRET + VERB
▪ be out , come out , get out
▪
How did the ~ get out?
PREPOSITION
▪ in ~
▪
The stars were married in ~ to avoid publicity.
▪ ~ about
▪
There was some ~ about the source of his wealth.
▪ ~ from
▪
I have no ~s from you.
PHRASES
▪ make no ~ of the fact that … , not make a ~ of sth
▪
He refuses to make any ~ of his political allegiances.
2 only/best way of doing/achieving sth
VERB + SECRET
▪ reveal , tell sb
▪ know
▪ hold
▪
These animals may hold the ~ to combating the virus.
PREPOSITION
▪ ~ behind
▪
She revealed the ~ behind her extraordinary success.
▪ ~ of
▪
the ~s of staying healthy
PHRASES
▪ the ~ of (sb's) success
II.
adj.
VERBS
▪ be
▪ remain , stay
▪ keep sth
ADVERB
▪ highly , top , very
▪
a top-secret meeting
▪ formerly , previously
▪
The text of the previously ~ treaty can now be revealed.
▪ supposedly
PREPOSITION
▪ from
▪
They managed to keep the party more or less ~ from Christine.
Secret is used with these nouns: ↑ address , ↑ admirer , ↑ affair , ↑ agenda , ↑ agent , ↑ ambition , ↑ ballot , ↑ camera , ↑ chamber , ↑ code , ↑ compartment , ↑ corner , ↑ crush , ↑ deal , ↑ desire , ↑ diary , ↑ diplomacy , ↑ document , ↑ door , ↑ drawer , ↑ entrance , ↑ exit , ↑ fantasy , ↑ file , ↑ formula , ↑ handshake , ↑ hearing , ↑ identity , ↑ information , ↑ ingredient , ↑ intelligence , ↑ laboratory , ↑ life , ↑ location , ↑ longing , ↑ love , ↑ lover , ↑ meeting , ↑ memo , ↑ memorandum , ↑ message , ↑ mission , ↑ negotiation , ↑ panel , ↑ passage , ↑ passion , ↑ password , ↑ plan , ↑ pocket , ↑ police , ↑ recipe , ↑ rendezvous , ↑ report , ↑ retreat , ↑ ritual , ↑ service , ↑ shame , ↑ shopper , ↑ society , ↑ surveillance , ↑ talk , ↑ treasure , ↑ truth , ↑ tunnel , ↑ vault , ↑ vice , ↑ vote , ↑ weapon , ↑ wish , ↑ worry