hugger-mugger
Disorder and secrecy
Hugger-mugger means secretive, clandestine, or confused and disorderly.
The word can function as noun, adjective, adverb, or verb, all circling the same core ideas: concealment and muddle.
The whole affair was conducted in hugger-mugger.
They hugger-muggered the evidence away.
The term is old-fashioned and literary, carrying a playful, archaic flavor.
Intentionally concealed
- clandestineConcealed from authorities
- furtiveSecretive and sly
- surreptitiousDone secretly, avoiding detection
- stealthySecretly cautious in movement
undercover · cloak-and-dagger · sub rosa · hidden · concealed · veiled · shrouded · private
covert
Intentionally concealed
- clandestineConcealed from authorities
- furtiveSecretive and sly
- surreptitiousDone secretly, avoiding detection
stealthy · undercover · cloak-and-dagger · sub rosa · hidden · concealed · veiled · shrouded · private · undisclosed
disarray
Lack of order
- jumbleConfused disorderly collection
- muddleDisordered, bewildered state
- disorderAbsence of organization
mess · tangle · chaos · scramble · hodgepodge · mishmash · clutter · snarl · hotchpotch · hash
sly
Cleverly deceptive
scheming · conniving · guileful · shifty · duplicitous · deceitful · artful · wily · underhanded · insidious