behind the scenes

1 of 2

phrase

1

: out of public view

also : in secret

2

: in a position to see the hidden workings

… taken behind the scenes and told just how in fact the actual government … has operated …

—William Clark

behind-the-scenes

2 of 2

adjective

be·​hind-the-scenes bi-ˈhīnd-ṯẖə-ˈsēnz 

bē-

1

: being or working out of public view or in secret

behind-the-scenes lobbying for more money

a behind-the-scenes player

2

: revealing or reporting the hidden workings

a behind-the-scenes account

a behind-the-scenes glimpse

Synonyms of behind the scenes

Adjective

• confidential
• secret
• private

Examples of behind the scenes in a Sentence

Adjective

a tell-all book about the behind-the-scenes negotiations that got him the vice presidential nomination

behind-the-scenes negotiations that resulted in the hostages being released unharmed

Recent Examples on the Web

Phrase

The communicators interviewed for this story were much warier of letting AI write public-facing material than of using it behind the scenes for research or other tasks. — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 8 Aug. 2026

While this might seem like a Senator doing her home-state school a solid, this 'independent' provision had already received pushback from plenty of leaders behind the scenes. — Trey Wallace Outkick, FOXNews.com, 8 Aug. 2026

Adjective

Narrated by Diane Lane, reciting Eleanor’s journals from the time, this is a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse that is both process-oriented and touchingly personal. — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 11 Aug. 2026

After the episode aired on July 3, Jake Reiner — the youngest son of Rob and Michele — shared a behind-the-scenes photo of his father in costume with his signature beard. — Yamillah Hurtado, PEOPLE, 10 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Phrase

1685, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1850, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for behind the scenes

• phenothiazines
• achenes
• alkenes
• amines
• benzenes
• canteens
• convenes
• cosines
• cuisines
• eumenes
• hellenes
• latrines