veiled
VAYLDadjMeaning partly hidden; hinted at but not said openly
Memory hook behind a thin VEIL. Nana Lou smiles and says, “What lively music, dear!” but her hands are over her ears; her complaint is there, behind a thin veil. It is veiled.
Her remark about his “interesting” shoes was a veiled criticism.
In context The coach never said outright that the team had played poorly, but his veiled comment about “players who think practice is optional” made everyone stare at the floor.
Similar disguised, masked, indirect, implied
Opposite open, overt, explicit
From veil, a thin cloth that covers the face: you can almost see what is behind it.