as in clandestine
undertaken or done so as to escape being observed or known by others
an influential Washington lobbyist who has been involved in a number of backstairs deals to limit regulation of financial institutions
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Recent Examples of backstairs
And in North Carolina, a boyish trial lawyer with jury-pleasing charm (John Edwards) knocked off Lauch Faircloth, a GOP senator who played a backstairs role in getting Kenneth Starr appointed as independent counsel.
—
Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 6 June 2019
Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 6 June 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backstairs
Adjective
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The position of chief judge, currently held by Timothy Evans, will instead be determined by an election held behind closed doors during a clandestine voting process in which fellow judges cast their secret ballots.—
Paul Vallas,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Aug. 2025
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Journaling, secret crushes and clandestine affairs take precedence.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
25 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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In it, Super Bowl-winning quarterback Eli Manning goes undercover in heavy prosthetics and a wig and dons the alias Chad Powers to try out as a walk-on quarterback for Penn State football.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Sep. 2025
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Senate Bill 627, for example, would prohibit law enforcement agents from covering their faces to obscure their identity, carving out exceptions for SWAT teams and undercover officers.—
Barnini Chakraborty,
The Washington Examiner,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Get Ready: Katy Perry Has Released a Sneak Peek of Her New Song And the internet has receipts.—
Mehera Bonner,
Marie Claire,
15 Mar. 2017
Adjective
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Korean Central News Agency/AP What To Know North Korea has conducted six underground nuclear tests since 2006, the most recent in 2017.—
Robert Birsel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Sep. 2025
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Around a million years ago, a sinkhole opened, turning the Cedar Creek waterway into an underground river.—
Lydia Mansel,
Southern Living,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Woman of the Hour In her directorial debut, Anna Kendrick stars as aspiring actress Sheryl Bradshaw, who unknowingly crosses paths with a covert serial killer (Daniel Zovatto) while appearing on The Dating Game.—
Jacqueline Weiss,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
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That provision allows a president to take covert actions as long as Congress is informed.—
Emily Goodin,
Miami Herald,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In some states where there is no anonymity for individual winners, people can still claim prizes anonymously through private trusts.—
Safiyah Riddle,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Sep. 2025
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But the new private terminal is winning their support, with the backing of historians and preservationists who have been fighting to maintain South Florida’s aviation legacy in a region known for tearing down buildings.—
Vinod Sreeharsha,
Miami Herald,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Backstairs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backstairs. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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