off-screen

adverb or adjective

variants or offscreen
1
: out of sight of the movie or television viewer
a shot fired off-screen
Before long, Anthony introduces himself to the family pooch, who is whooshed away to an off-screen death.Kris Turnquist
2
: in private life : when not appearing in a movie, on television, etc.
Moyer's off-screen magnetism comes from a down-to-earth friendliness.Kate Hahn
Pfeiffer, 34, remains a mystery woman offscreen.Michael A. Lipton

Examples of off-screen in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Beast in Me is Netflix’s latest mystery thriller series, but off-screen, the cast has a lot more romance in their lives. Ariana Quihuiz, PEOPLE, 15 Nov. 2025 My Word Against Mine unfolds in a therapeutic setting, with a psychiatrist off-screen leading conversations with patients about their voices and, yes, even with the voices. Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 12 Nov. 2025 Kirkland's off-screen pursuits were eclectic. Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 11 Nov. 2025 Her longtime off-screen relationship with co-star Charlie Heaton has also drawn public interest. Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Nov. 2025 Otherwise, the Devil remains off-screen, which is usually the most effective way to keep Satan scary. Keith Phipps, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025 And, of course, time off-screen is generally better than time on-screen. Kara Alaimo, CNN Money, 28 Oct. 2025 Nazareth now declines to confirm whether the deal has been finalized off-screen or not. Tom Huddleston Jr., CNBC, 24 Oct. 2025 The Sidemen started out as a YouTube collective but now have shows on Netflix, sell a deep range of merch, and have off-screen activities including a charity soccer match that sells out Wembley Stadium. Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 22 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1916, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of off-screen was in 1916

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Off-screen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/off-screen. Accessed 21 Nov. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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