off-the-record

adjective

Definition of off-the-recordnext
as in closed-door

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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 off-the-record The paper reported that Williamson and Wilkins never met, had one off-the-record phone call, and exchanged emails during the course of Williamson’s reporting. — Staff Author, PEOPLE, 24 Apr. 2026 Ars recently visited True Anomaly’s headquarters for an off-the-record tour, then sat down with Rogers to chat about the vision, risks, and rewards in True Anomaly’s orbit. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 19 Mar. 2026 The 21-page agreement prohibits the gathering or publication of any information that is not authorized by the government, including declassified information and off-the-record conversations, whether obtained on or off Pentagon grounds. — Gary Grumbach, NBC news, 5 Mar. 2026 Only days after announcing the formation of the Rockefeller Commission in January 1975, Ford accidentally shared at an off-the-record lunch with executives and editors from The New York Times that his concern about abuses involved assassinations. — Tim Naftali, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for off-the-record
Recent Examples of Synonyms for off-the-record
  1. closed-door
  2. off-the-books
  3. back-channel
  4. confidential
  5. clandestine
  6. surreptitious
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
Definition of closed-door
Adjective
  • In Disclosure Day, cybersecurity expert Daniel Kellner (O’Connor) steals files confirming alien contact from the Wardex Corporation, an off-the-books non-governmental organization.
    — Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 13 June 2026
  • But statistics fail to convey the humanity of yard sales—the caprice, whimsy, and high spirits, as well as the cunning, weirdness, and heartbreak, that charge and thicken the air when two people agree to perform an off-the-books monetary transaction.
    — Caity Weaver, The Atlantic, 12 June 2026
Definition of off-the-books
Adjective
  • 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
Definition of back-channel
Adjective
  • Fred Tsao, senior policy counsel at the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, said the administration’s initiative to fight election fraud does not justify the collection of confidential voter information.
    — Allison Kiehl, Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Crucially, privacy is a major concern, as AI chats are typically not confidential and can be accessed or used by developers.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of confidential
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
  • New York is banning smart glasses in courts across the state, pointing to the threat of surreptitious video recordings.
    — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 9 July 2026
  • These cybercriminals are like the Hollywood movie character Jason Bourne, a highly surreptitious operative who avoids detection through diversion, disguises, deflecting and blending into the environment.
    — Eric Herzog, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
Definition of surreptitious

Browse Nearby Words

off-the-rack
off-the-record
off-the-shelf
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Off-the-record.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/off-the-record. Accessed 2 Aug. 2026.

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