backstairs

adjective

ˈbak-ˌsterz How to pronounce backstairs (audio)
Definition of backstairsnext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backstairs
  1. clandestine
  2. undercover
  3. underground
  4. covert
  5. private
Adjective
  • Throughout the previous four years, Russia has, for example, sent drones and clandestine operatives to disrupt European defense production facilities, military bases, and transport infrastructure.
    — Alexander Gabuev, Foreign Affairs, 31 July 2026
  • In the past, drug traffickers approached the community seeking to build a clandestine airstrip inside their territory.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 July 2026
Definition of clandestine
Adjective
  • Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department officer Seth Elliott used confidential police databases to let a drug dealer know about undercover police who were trying to buy drugs, court documents allege.
    — Julia Coin Updated July 30, Charlotte Observer, 30 July 2026
  • Pagnoni was actually communicating with an undercover detective from the Camden County Prosecutor's Office High Tech Crimes Unit.
    — CBS News Philadelphia Staff, CBS News, 30 July 2026
Definition of undercover
Adjective
  • These were voices—complaining, confiding, exasperated, distressed—that had not been heard before, as if the novel were a speaking tube cued to an underground rumble.
    — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Eden Aurelius is a relatively recent arrival to New York’s underground club scene, but her slim discography so far shows remarkable focus.
    — Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of underground
Adjective
  • Its national intelligence scope will include counterterrorism efforts, national emergency response, and countermeasures against foreign intelligence such as spy activity or covert influence operations.
    — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 31 July 2026
  • Now, thermal visibility is extremely useful in countless scenarios, such as rescue operations in smoke or darkness, inspections for identifying faults in infrastructure, covert operations in the dark, security monitoring, and safety.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 29 July 2026
Definition of covert
Adjective
  • For context, the median private SaaS company generates about $141,000 of revenue per employee, while the leading AI-native companies are running at twenty times that or more.
    — Michael Wee, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Greece’s firefighting department said Sunday the fire apparently began from sparks emitted by a faulty power line transporting electricity from a private wind generator facility to the main electricity network.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of private

Browse Nearby Words

backstage
backstairs
backstop
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Cite this Entry

“Backstairs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backstairs. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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