behind–the–scenes

1 not known or meant to be known by the general populace a tell-all book about the behind-the-scenes negotiations that got him the vice presidential nomination Synonyms behind-the-scenes, confidential, esoteric, hushed, hush-hush, inside, intimate, nonpublic, privy, secretRelated Words classified, restricted, top secret; silent, unadvertised, unannounced, undisclosed, unmentioned, unsaid, untold; clandestine, closet, collusive, conspiratorial, covert; furtive, hugger-mugger, occult, sneak, sneaking, sneaky, stealthy, surreptitious, undercover, underground, underhand, underhanded; personal; closeted, concealed, hidden; repressed, silenced, stifled, suppressed; backstage, offscreen, offstageNear Antonyms well-known; advertised, aired, announced, blazed, broadcast, declared, disclosed, divulged, enunciated, heralded, proclaimed, professed, promulgated, publicized, published, reported, spotlighted; general, popular, prevailing, vulgar; current, prevalent, rife, widespread; communal, sharedAntonyms common, open, public

2 undertaken or done so as to escape being observed or known by others behind-the-scenes negotiations that resulted in the hostages being released unharmed Synonyms backstairs, behind-the-scenes, clandestine, covert, furtive, hole-and-corner, hugger-mugger, hush-hush, private, privy, sneak, sneaking, sneaky, stealth, stealthy, surreptitious, undercover, underground, underhand, underhandedRelated Words back-channel, closed-door, off-the-books, off-the-record; classified, confidential, restricted, top secret, undisclosed; concealed, hidden, secreted, subterranean, unadvertised, unexposedNear Antonyms acknowledged, avowed; aboveboard, straightforward, unconcealed, undisguised; unclassified, unrestricted; clear, evident, manifest, obvious, patent, plainAntonyms open, overt, public