down-low

noun

ˈdau̇n-ˌlō 

Phrases

the down-low

: a state or condition of secrecy

—usually used in the phrase on the down-low

Alcindor was able to keep his drug use on the down-low, but Allen was not so lucky.

—Seth Davis

The spot was called Houston's. Dimly lit, it was a restaurant on the down-low.

—Sister Souljah

—abbreviation DL

Examples of down-low in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

George similarly kept her third pregnancy on the down-low before revealing Lyor's birth with a March 2024 Instagram snap of the newborn's foot. — Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 6 July 2026

More recently, Austin has kept his relationship on the down-low. — Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 2 July 2026

The attraction is palpable, even if the need to keep it on the down-low is inherently understood. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 17 June 2026

Silky shooter Sonia Citron and down-low force Kiki Iriafen each earned All-Rookie honors last year. — Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 8 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1992, in the meaning defined above