in the shadows
- darknessTotal absence of light
- hiddenKept out of sight
- lurkingConcealed and watchful
- concealedMade invisible deliberately
- obscuredMade hard to perceive
silhouette · clandestine · stealth · dim · murky · secretive · watching · creeping · noir · twilight · veiled · unseen · skulking · penumbra · covert · stalking · mysterious · gloom
- secrecysecrecy, secret, secrets, confidential, classified
- visibilityvisibility, visible, invisible, hidden, hide
- Hierarchy termspecking order, junior, chain of command, secondary, totem pole
visibility/prominence
in the shadowsin the spotlight
Receiving public attention
in the limelight · center stage · front and center · on display · in plain sight
light exposure
in the shadowsin broad daylight
Plainly visible to all
illuminated · brightly lit · in the open · lit up · sunlit
secrecy/openness
in the shadowsout in the open
Visible to everyone
above board · in plain view · transparent · openly · on the record