as in closed-door
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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
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
Sometimes these occur during our quarterly CEO forums, in public but off-the-record exchanges.
—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
13 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for off-the-record
Staff Author,
PEOPLE,
24 Apr. 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
Sometimes these occur during our quarterly CEO forums, in public but off-the-record exchanges.
—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
13 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for off-the-record
Recent Examples of Synonyms for off-the-record
Adjective
-
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.
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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.
Adjective
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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.
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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.
Adjective
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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.
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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.
Adjective
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All calls are toll-free and confidential.
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All calls will be kept confidential.
Adjective
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Some may be announced publicly; others may happen in more clandestine ways.
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But clandestine flows aren’t the biggest factor behind the market calm.
Adjective
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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.
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Related Stories Known to be a rebellious royal and a surreptitious anti-fascist, Maria José then moved to Portugal and soon left her husband.
Cite this Entry
“Off-the-record.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/off-the-record. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
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