as in clandestine
undertaken or done so as to escape being observed or known by others
an influential Washington lobbyist who has been involved in a number of backstairs deals to limit regulation of financial institutions
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Recent Examples of backstairs
And in North Carolina, a boyish trial lawyer with jury-pleasing charm (John Edwards) knocked off Lauch Faircloth, a GOP senator who played a backstairs role in getting Kenneth Starr appointed as independent counsel.
—
Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 6 June 2019
Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 6 June 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backstairs
Adjective
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After authorities responded with mass arrests, weavers formed clandestine committees and took secret oaths.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
14 Apr. 2025
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Til Schweiger plays a sardonic whale-tourism boat captain (and former elite military operative, obviously) who gets roped into taking down a clandestine organization that’s building the perfect super-soldier through genetic experiments.—
Jordan Crucchiola,
Vulture,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Former Attorney General Merrick Garland said in October that the Justice Department foiled the plot as the men bought the rifles from an undercover FBI employee.—
Krystal Nurse,
USA Today,
18 Apr. 2025
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Kasie discovers that the Poet used jeweler Gemma Wood (Michelle Lukes) as a go-between to broker deals with anonymous clients, so Torres goes undercover as the man himself since news of his death hasn't left NCIS HQ.—
Sara Netzley,
EW.com,
15 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Disco first emerged in underground Black, Latino and gay clubs where people created their own version of dance music.—
Alice George,
Smithsonian Magazine,
18 Apr. 2025
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This week, Lawrence Burney steps in to talk about how a part of Baltimore lingo is entering the wider underground rap lexicon through artists from the Mid-Atlantic.—
Lawrence Burney,
Pitchfork,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Then Gungnir covert sniper rifle seems like a bargain, relatively speaking, at just $12,867.—
Davey Winder,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
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In the letter, Grassley wrote that the records would help shine a light on the Nazi planning of the covert escape routes.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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In 2022, a consortium of private retirement-plan providers announced a collaboration to boost the portability of small retirement accounts.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
20 Apr. 2025
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What is the best way to stay private, secure and anonymous while browsing the web?—
Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report,
FOXNews.com,
19 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Backstairs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backstairs. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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