BACKSTAIRS Synonyms: 52 Similar and Opposite Words

backstairs

adjective

ˈbak-ˌsterz

Definition of backstairs

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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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.

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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for backstairs

Adjective

Across Greengrass’ three Bourne movies, the elite assassin turns against the clandestine institution that created him, determined to escape its grip and bring its covert operations to light.

— Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2026
Or that the Apollo moon landing in 1969 was staged, the video shot on some clandestine movie set.

— Susan Page, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of clandestine

Adjective

And a special shoutout to Jed York, the 49ers owner who was recently in the news after his arrest for allegedly trying to pay $160 to an undercover officer who was posing as a prostitute.

— Jon Greenberg, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Police then began an undercover investigation of Conahan and later arrested him on murder charges for Montgomery’s killing.

— Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of undercover

Adjective

In Britain’s North Yorkshire, researchers have established an underground farming facility more than 1,000 meters below ground to test how crops can be cultivated deep beneath the surface.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 8 Sep. 2026
Unmade follows the legendary underground filmmaker through three years of terminal illness—not as a farewell portrait, but as a final, uncompromising work of his own cinema.

— Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of underground

Adjective

Across Greengrass’ three Bourne movies, the elite assassin turns against the clandestine institution that created him, determined to escape its grip and bring its covert operations to light.

— Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2026
Even within those strict parameters, the researchers discovered that about 1,200 AI agents that were not supposed to be communicating with each other used a covert message board.

— Shaun Raviv, CBS News, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of covert

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backstage

backstairs

backstop

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“Backstairs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backstairs. Accessed 15 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of backstairs

adjective

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