under-the-table
adjective
un·der-the-ta·ble
ˈən-dər-ṯẖə-ˈtā-bəl 
: covert and usually unlawful
under-the-table payoffs
Examples of under-the-table in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In 2018, after media accounts revealed one such donor’s under-the-table contributions to an Australian senator—who then provided countersurveillance advice to the Chinese donor—the senator was forced to resign his seat.
—
Philip Zelikow, Foreign Affairs, 9 June 2020
In February 2023, the team was investigated for allegedly circumventing the WNBA’s salary cap rules for offering under-the-table payments to players.
—Paolo Confino, Fortune, 20 May 2024
While migrants wait, many rely on public resources or take low-paying and unreliable, under-the-table gigs.
—Hillary Chura, The Christian Science Monitor, 9 Jan. 2024
The most common job for these children is under-the-table work in roofing and construction, according to teachers, social workers, labor organizers and federal investigators.
—Hannah Dreier, New York Times, 14 Dec. 2023
In contrast, a home office makes the window for such under-the-table information exchanges elusive.
—Gleb Tsipursky, Fortune, 18 July 2023
First, the elephant in the room: Yes, some of these shops are doing a fantastic business in under-the-table or dubiously legal cannabis, especially in places where new laws have reduced penalties for unlicensed sales or created some legal confusion over exactly what merchants are allowed to carry.
—Amanda Mull, The Atlantic, 22 June 2023
Transparency is certainly better than the open secret of under-the-table payments.
—Steven P. Dinkin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Apr. 2023
Throughout high school, Ward honed in on dancing, booking under-the-table gigs and teaching classes to earn extra money.
—Cydney Lee, Billboard, 13 Mar. 2023
Philip Zelikow, Foreign Affairs, 9 June 2020
In February 2023, the team was investigated for allegedly circumventing the WNBA’s salary cap rules for offering under-the-table payments to players.
—Paolo Confino, Fortune, 20 May 2024
While migrants wait, many rely on public resources or take low-paying and unreliable, under-the-table gigs.
—Hillary Chura, The Christian Science Monitor, 9 Jan. 2024
The most common job for these children is under-the-table work in roofing and construction, according to teachers, social workers, labor organizers and federal investigators.
—Hannah Dreier, New York Times, 14 Dec. 2023
In contrast, a home office makes the window for such under-the-table information exchanges elusive.
—Gleb Tsipursky, Fortune, 18 July 2023
First, the elephant in the room: Yes, some of these shops are doing a fantastic business in under-the-table or dubiously legal cannabis, especially in places where new laws have reduced penalties for unlicensed sales or created some legal confusion over exactly what merchants are allowed to carry.
—Amanda Mull, The Atlantic, 22 June 2023
Transparency is certainly better than the open secret of under-the-table payments.
—Steven P. Dinkin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Apr. 2023
Throughout high school, Ward honed in on dancing, booking under-the-table gigs and teaching classes to earn extra money.
—Cydney Lee, Billboard, 13 Mar. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'under-the-table.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Under-the-table.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/under-the-table. Accessed 27 Jul. 2024.
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