# cloak and dagger

idiom · CEFR C1

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/cloak-and-dagger
Updated: 2026-07-13

## Meaning

A situation or activity marked by secrecy, mystery, intrigue, or espionage. Often used as an adjective (a cloak-and-dagger mission) to describe clandestine operations or overly secretive meetings.

## Examples

- The whole trip felt very cloak and dagger.
- I dislike all this cloak and dagger stuff at the office.
- They arranged the surprise party in such a cloak-and-dagger way that no one suspected a thing.
- The journalists met their source in a dark parking garage, hoping to avoid any cloak-and-dagger drama while exchanging the sensitive documents.
- The merger talks were conducted with such cloak-and-dagger secrecy that even senior managers were kept in the dark until the deal was signed.

## Origin

The phrase comes from the historical practice of carrying a concealed weapon, such as a dagger, hidden beneath a cloak. It is also a direct translation of the French de cape et d'épée and the Spanish de capa y espada ("cloak and sword"), which originally referred to a popular genre of swashbuckler dramas and romances during the Spanish Golden Age.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.