BEHIND-THE-SCENES Synonyms: 104 Similar and Opposite Words

behind-the-scenes

adjective

bi-ˈhīnd-ṯẖə-ˈsēnz

Definition of behind-the-scenes

as in confidential

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 & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in clandestine

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 & Similar Words

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 behind-the-scenes Neill also shared behind-the-scenes photos of Australian music duo Vika and Linda Bull, New Zealand singer-songwriter Jenny Morris, and former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. — Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 13 July 2026 Take a look at the poster and the behind-the-scenes video, both IndieWire exclusives, below. — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 13 July 2026 Prep Rally is devoted to the SoCal high school sports experience, bringing you scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular. — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 13 July 2026 Inside Look stories give Star-Telegram subscribers exclusive sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes reporting. — Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for behind-the-scenes

Recent Examples of Synonyms for behind-the-scenes

Adjective

Chicago police Chief Elmer Washburn had a confidential secretary, Percy English, who also wrote for the Tribune.

— Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2026
Apple alleges that Tan used confidential company information when recruiting candidates, including instructing them to bring Apple parts during the interview process.

— Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 10 July 2026

Definition of confidential

Adjective

That the actual, original Antifa formed in clandestine resistance to Nazi terror during the early 1930s appears lost amid the rhetorical vagaries of political propaganda.

— Ara H. Merjian, ARTnews.com, 10 July 2026
Russia and China are seeking the capability to disable and eventually destroy Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite network, an investigation found, as the allies deepen their clandestine military cooperation.

— Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 9 July 2026

Definition of clandestine

Adjective

But out of the shadows emerges a former soldier known only as Berry, who starts building a secret resistance network.

— Alex Ritman, Variety, 15 July 2026
Three to Seven Days ISTANBUL, TURKEY Hair Restoration Hair restoration has become one of the entertainment industry’s least-secret procedures.

— Melinda Sheckells, HollywoodReporter, 15 July 2026

Definition of secret

Adjective

Duties include developing operation plans and going undercover.

— Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 7 July 2026
In exchange, one of the agents asked Lumumba to move the city’s deadline for the hotel project from April 30 to April 10 or 15, giving the undercover FBI agents an advantage over other developers.

— Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 6 July 2026

Definition of undercover

Adjective

Gabriella paid off most of his entourage to leave him and the band alone and is now basically his own private Joe Jackson, pressuring him to record nonstop.

— Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 6 July 2026
The Castro family has been linked, through GAESA chiefly, to a lucrative world of hotels, banks, retail monopolies, foreign-currency businesses, foreign private compounds and offshore accounts.

— Romina Ruiz-Goiriena, USA Today, 6 July 2026

Definition of private

Adjective

Lioness stars Nicole Kidman, Zoe Saldaña, and Morgan Freeman, and follows an all-female CIA team known as the Lionesses, who conduct covert missions in the War on Terror.

— Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 7 July 2026
Since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion in 2022, following his covert invasions of Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula and eastern regions in 2014, Russian forces have captured roughly 12% of Ukraine’s territory.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026

Definition of covert

Adjective

Earlier this month a pastor who founded one of China’s most prominent underground churches was released from prison and reunited with his family in the United States after being detained in a crackdown in China last year.

— Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 15 July 2026
Over several decades, Tehran has developed a network of fortified bases, underground storage complexes, mobile launch systems, and layered defenses intended to make its missile force difficult to locate and destroy.

— Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 14 July 2026

Definition of underground

Browse Nearby Words

behinds

behind-the-scenes

behold

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Behind-the-scenes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/behind-the-scenes. Accessed 16 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of behind-the-scenes

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

bibelot

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Games & Quizzes