VERBS

be | remain, stay | keep sth

ADV.

highly, top, very

a top secret meeting

| absolutely, entirely | more or less | formerly, hitherto, previously

revealing the text of the hitherto secret treaty

PREP.

from

They managed to keep the party more or less secret from Christine.

ADJ.

big, great | little | closely guarded, well-kept

a charming museum that is one of the city's best-kept secrets (= that not many people know about)

| hidden, inner, innermost, intimate

That evening she had revealed many of her innermost secrets.

| open

Their affair is an open secret.

| dark, guilty, shameful, terrible | commercial, family, military, official, state, trade

VERB + SECRET

have | guard, keep

Can you keep a secret?

| betray, divulge, let sb in on/into, reveal, tell sb

She let us into her secret?she'd got engaged.

| find out, uncover

SECRET + VERB

be/get out

How did the secret get out?

PREP.

in ~

The film stars were married in secret to avoid publicity.

| ~ about

There was some secret about the source of his wealth.

| ~ from

I have no secrets from you.

PHRASES

make no secret of the fact that … , make a secret of sth

He refuses to make any secret of his political allegiances.

VERB + SECRET

reveal, tell sb

PREP.

~ behind

She revealed the secret behind her extraordinary success.

| ~ of

the secrets of staying healthy

PHRASES

the secret of (sb's) success