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
Kris Turnquist2
: 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
Kate HahnPfeiffer, 34, remains a mystery woman offscreen.—Michael A. Lipton
Michael A. LiptonExamples of off-screen in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Perhaps the most revolutionary aspect of The Pitt’s commitment to inclusion happens off-screen and is thanks to HBO’s interest in accessibility and inclusion.
—Robert Raben, Fortune, 26 Feb. 2026
Even off-screen, and in some of her earlier roles, Hepburn embraced youthful pigtails with wispy bangs.
—Amanda Le, InStyle, 25 Feb. 2026
Once upon a time, she and Heughan’s steamy, kilt-ripping scenes were the talk of the town—and sparked incessant, baseless speculation about the nature of their off-screen relationship.
—Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 23 Feb. 2026
Their segment was quickly interrupted when someone in the audience off-screen shouted the N-word.
—Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2026
Spencer famously had a villainous persona on the reality series and in the public spotlight, and his feuding with sister Stephanie was chronicled both on- and off-screen.
—Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 15 Feb. 2026
But what about Jones’ life off-screen?
—Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 13 Feb. 2026
But off-screen, Lucci had a once-in-a-lifetime love.
—Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 3 Feb. 2026
The film unfolds largely through the five participating workers’ laptop interfaces as their off-screen voices—from their respective locations in Kenya, the Philippines, and Venezuela—explain the segmentation process in real time.
—Farren Fei Yuan, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2026
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Robert Raben, Fortune, 26 Feb. 2026
Even off-screen, and in some of her earlier roles, Hepburn embraced youthful pigtails with wispy bangs.
—Amanda Le, InStyle, 25 Feb. 2026
Once upon a time, she and Heughan’s steamy, kilt-ripping scenes were the talk of the town—and sparked incessant, baseless speculation about the nature of their off-screen relationship.
—Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 23 Feb. 2026
Their segment was quickly interrupted when someone in the audience off-screen shouted the N-word.
—Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2026
Spencer famously had a villainous persona on the reality series and in the public spotlight, and his feuding with sister Stephanie was chronicled both on- and off-screen.
—Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 15 Feb. 2026
But what about Jones’ life off-screen?
—Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 13 Feb. 2026
But off-screen, Lucci had a once-in-a-lifetime love.
—Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 3 Feb. 2026
The film unfolds largely through the five participating workers’ laptop interfaces as their off-screen voices—from their respective locations in Kenya, the Philippines, and Venezuela—explain the segmentation process in real time.
—Farren Fei Yuan, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Off-screen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/off-screen. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.
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