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
2
: 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
Pfeiffer, 34, remains a mystery woman offscreen.Michael A. Lipton

Examples of off-screen in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Tuuli Narkle Fans might be shipping Narkle's character, Constable Cooper, and Sager's Jackson, but her relationship status off-screen is currently unclear. Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025 And, of course, time off-screen is generally better than time on-screen. Kara Alaimo, CNN Money, 28 Oct. 2025 Nazareth now declines to confirm whether the deal has been finalized off-screen or not. Tom Huddleston Jr., CNBC, 24 Oct. 2025 The Sidemen started out as a YouTube collective but now have shows on Netflix, sell a deep range of merch, and have off-screen activities including a charity soccer match that sells out Wembley Stadium. Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 22 Oct. 2025 For large stretches, the violence in Red Alert takes place just off-screen. Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2025 The duo’s on-screen chemistry mirrored their off-screen closeness, with Witherspoon describing their bond as lifelong. Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 4 Oct. 2025 Their characters, Mindy and Nico, went their separate ways in last year's season 4, and now PEOPLE has confirmed that the two have ended their own off-screen romance after almost two years together. Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Oct. 2025 Their collaboration continued off-screen, with the launch of The Wedding Dance School in 2020, which helps couples choreograph their first dance. Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1916, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of off-screen was in 1916

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Off-screen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/off-screen. Accessed 2 Nov. 2025.

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