under-the-counter

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 under-the-counter Behind the bar, crammed into a small station barely wide enough for one person, were two rice cookers, a combination oven, an induction burner and an under-the-counter fridge. Priya Krishna, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025 By night, his father would lend him his binoculars to spy on women through their windows, filling in any gaps in his anatomical understanding with whatever under-the-counter girly magazines had managed to wiggle through Italy’s draconian censorship. Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2024 Filtering your water If PFAS levels are concerning, consumers can purchase an under-the-counter water filter for their tap. Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 10 Apr. 2024 Have a variety — an overhead light; warm-toned, under-the-counter LED task strips. Kim Cook, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Dec. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for under-the-counter
Adjective
  • This controversy over, perhaps, some unaccounted-for under-the-table money will not change his on-court legacy much.
    Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Sep. 2025
  • Skinner is a reprieve from Aishe’s life working in brutal restaurant kitchens for under-the-table wages; Aishe is a grounding force for Skinner, grieving the loss of his best friend and managing his PTSD symptoms with a cocktail of meds and plenty of booze.
    Katie Walsh, Chicago Tribune, 4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • So that seemingly innocent Machu Picchu stamp—one of the most popular souvenir stamps around—could be viewed not as a harmless keepsake but as an unauthorized alteration that might jeopardize your ability to travel.
    Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Victims may only notice unauthorized transactions after substantial amounts have been taken from their accounts as scammers frequently conduct small, less noticeable withdrawals to evade fraud detection systems.
    Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • An unknown number of unlicensed rehabilitation clinics in Colombia and elsewhere in Latin America offer such therapy based on the idea that homosexuality, bisexuality and transgender identities are a mental illness that needs to be cured, rights groups said.
    Reuters, NBC news, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Its living room rapidly reached the swelter and volume of a blacksmith’s forge operating as a front for an unlicensed tavern.
    Caity Weaver, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Under-the-counter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/under-the-counter. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

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