back-channel

Definition of back-channelnext

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of back-channel Rubio has led back-channel talks with Raúl Castro’s grandson, Raúl Guillermo Rodriguez Castro, but Cuban officials say talks with the administration are at a stalemate. — Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2026 Pakistan has been an important back-channel player in reaching Iran, and the positive tone of its comments eased oil markets a bit. — Brian Sullivan, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026 The real deals are locked in over late-night dinners, back-channel texts and quiet handshakes months in advance. — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 12 Aug. 2026 The route threads through waterfront parks, past the Island Park and Wildlife Sanctuary’s back-channel islands, and along quiet residential streets. — John Godfrey Published, Midwest Living, 8 Aug. 2026 In Japan, moderates had begun back-channel discussions with the Soviet Union (with whom Japan was not at war) in an effort to end the fighting and preserve the Japanese monarchy. — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 Aug. 2026 In July 1971, Henry Kissinger, then national security adviser to President Richard Nixon, arrived in Beijing on his famous secret mission — the back-channel visit that helped re-open the door between two countries that had little direct contact for more than two decades. — Xianda Huang, The Conversation, 16 May 2026 The messiness of a 13-year scientific undertaking, the back-channel negotiations, the philosophical disagreements, the institutional maneuvering — none of that fits neatly into an obituary. — Zachary Utz, STAT, 15 May 2026 The indictment alleges that after the NIH terminated a bat coronavirus grant to EcoHealth Alliance, Morens and co-conspirators pledged to help restore the grant and used back-channel communications to influence NIH funding decisions while deliberately avoiding transparency requirements. — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for back-channel
Adjective
  • In one of the company’s off-the-record labs, On executives showed how the foam was made — a process that drew on years of material science and biomechanical research.
    — Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 15 Sep. 2026
  • There was an off-the-record discussion, then Patton’s clerk called the case.
    — Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 27 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates departs after a closed-door interview with the House Oversight Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on June 10, 2026.
    — Dan Mangan, CNBC, 23 June 2026
Adjective
  • Federal prosecutors have launched a criminal investigation into allegations that the Los Angeles Clippers arranged secret, off-the-books sponsorship deals for Kawhi Leonard to circumvent the NBA’s salary cap, first reported by The New York Times.
    — Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Leonard, who made tens of millions in off-the-books, no-show endorsements, made out like a bandit with this settlement, especially since his $51 million contract for the coming season was not voided.
    — John Hollinger, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Facing a massive defense budget shortfall, Ukraine has not been able to cash in on the millions of dollars earned by its clandestine adult-content industry.
    — Francesca Ebel, Washington Post, 25 Sep. 2026
  • And so, at first light, when firefighters had won the day and the smoke cleared to reveal the ostrich flock still standing, the sight didn’t lead to any reconsideration of the night’s theories of clandestine slaughter.
    — J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • To unearth these surreptitious practices, Gamers Nexus partnered up with independent security researchers and Level1Techs.
    — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 10 Sep. 2026
  • And in 1911 a disgruntled ex-Mormon hid a camera under his coat and snapped surreptitious photos of the temple’s interior in an unsuccessful attempt to blackmail the church.
    — Brandon Griggs, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • The products arrive amid lawsuits over covert recordings, concerns about AI safety and political pressure for greater oversight of rapidly advancing technology.
    — Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Future Nyota hasn’t let this new, semi-covert relationship distract her from her job, however.
    — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Back-channel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/back-channel. Accessed 28 Sep. 2026.

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