off-the-books
adjective
: not reported or recorded
off-the-books transactions
off-the-books covert operations
off the books
adverb
Examples of off-the-books in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In 1743, Keith was sent to Fleet Prison for his off-the-books activities.
—
Alexandra Cox, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Mar. 2025
This second Adam and Eve are at odds because Adam, a trans man, is pregnant, and his sister, a scientist and genetic researcher, has volunteered to be his off-the-books OBGYN, helping him and his partner Fox (Ryan Jamaal Swain) through the pregnancy.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2025
An off-the-books e-bike battery repair shop in the basement of a Queens home sparked a massive Friday morning blaze that left a firefighter and three building residents hospitalized, FDNY officials said.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 24 Jan. 2025
Since Russia invaded Ukraine, the worry primarily concerned the use of such off-the-books ships to circumvent Western sanctions and generate revenue to fuel the Kremlin’s war machine.
—Michael Schwirtz, New York Times, 28 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for off-the-books
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.
Alexandra Cox, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Mar. 2025
This second Adam and Eve are at odds because Adam, a trans man, is pregnant, and his sister, a scientist and genetic researcher, has volunteered to be his off-the-books OBGYN, helping him and his partner Fox (Ryan Jamaal Swain) through the pregnancy.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2025
An off-the-books e-bike battery repair shop in the basement of a Queens home sparked a massive Friday morning blaze that left a firefighter and three building residents hospitalized, FDNY officials said.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 24 Jan. 2025
Since Russia invaded Ukraine, the worry primarily concerned the use of such off-the-books ships to circumvent Western sanctions and generate revenue to fuel the Kremlin’s war machine.
—Michael Schwirtz, New York Times, 28 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for off-the-books
Cite this Entry
“Off-the-books.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/off-the-books. Accessed 13 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share