as in off-the-record
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Recent Examples of off-the-books
Helen wants him for an off-the-books quest to find a possibly mythical object called the Seven Five Two, and an even more off-the-books quest to find answers about a formative childhood trauma involving the Talamasca.
—
Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 24 Oct. 2025
Aishe is an undocumented immigrant from China’s Uyghur minority, scraping by doing off-the-books jobs in the Flushing neighborhood of Queens.
—Peter Larsen, Daily News, 3 Sep. 2025
Scott got his first paying job at age 11, an off-the-books gig at A Bicycle Odyssey, a bike shop in Sausalito, California, frequented by the likes of Robin Williams, members of the band The Grateful Dead and Huey Lewis.
—Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2025
In the 2021 film, Odenkirk (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul) stars as Hutch Mansell, a by-the-numbers working stiff who harbors a secret past as an off-the-books government assassin.
—Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for off-the-books
Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 24 Oct. 2025
Aishe is an undocumented immigrant from China’s Uyghur minority, scraping by doing off-the-books jobs in the Flushing neighborhood of Queens.
—Peter Larsen, Daily News, 3 Sep. 2025
Scott got his first paying job at age 11, an off-the-books gig at A Bicycle Odyssey, a bike shop in Sausalito, California, frequented by the likes of Robin Williams, members of the band The Grateful Dead and Huey Lewis.
—Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2025
In the 2021 film, Odenkirk (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul) stars as Hutch Mansell, a by-the-numbers working stiff who harbors a secret past as an off-the-books government assassin.
—Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for off-the-books
Recent Examples of Synonyms for off-the-books
Adjective
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But through time, trust and many off-the-record conversations, those six people helped create a foundation that would eventually lead them to the CEOs.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Mar. 2026
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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
Adjective
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The Pozo de Vargas is considered the largest clandestine mass grave of Argentina’s last dictatorship with the remains of 149 people recovered from the site.—
Débora Rey,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Mar. 2026
-
The Pozo de Vargas is considered the largest clandestine mass grave of Argentina’s last dictatorship with the remains of 149 people recovered from the site.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Rubio, who is also Trump’s national security adviser, was one of three U.S. officials to participate in a closed-door meeting with the Russian delegation on Friday in Alaska.—
Alexis Simendinger,
The Hill,
20 Aug. 2025
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The revelation was made by House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer (R-KY) after Barr testified in a closed-door interview during the House Oversight Committee’s investigation of the federal government’s handling of Epstein’s case.—
Washington Examiner Staff,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Welcome to the era of surreptitious seafood, an industry gamble that overcoming Americans’ relative disinterest in the meat of the sea is all a matter of making fish look and taste less like, well, fish.—
J.m. Hirsch,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Mar. 2026
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The filmmakers and inmates carried out this investigation in secret, through anonymous phone calls and surreptitious recordings, ultimately revealing systemic rot inside a sadistic prison system.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Law enforcement officials said the officer was ambushed by two gunmen and shot while driving an unmarked white Tesla while working on an undercover investigation.—
Washington Examiner Staff,
The Washington Examiner,
24 Mar. 2026
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Owners cited undercover consumers known to visit establishments in search of those airing content without licenses.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
23 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The source said that such a view has been communicated to the Cubans in the ongoing back-channel talks.—
Nora Gámez Torres,
Miami Herald,
4 Mar. 2026
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Both the president’s team and the rule-of-law defenders launched back-channel negotiations with the capitalists.—
Michael Scherer,
The Atlantic,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Her covert affair with Davis became big news when a Chicago gossip columnist wrote a detailed account of their relationship in early 1958, including their plans to wed, despite their denials.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
28 Mar. 2026
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While Iran is not known to have any interests in Uganda, it has been accused of covert operations in neighboring Kenya and Tanzania, including the running of smuggling networks and making controversial diplomatic and economic outreach with questionable motives throughout the region.—
Paul Tilsley,
FOXNews.com,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Mecklenburg County commissioners voted just last week to officially remove the county’s previous rules on private pool rentals to reflect the change in state law.—
Mary Ramsey
March 25,
Charlotte Observer,
25 Mar. 2026
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The diplomats spoke on the condition of anonymity to disclose private negotiations.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Off-the-books.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/off-the-books. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
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