under-the-table

adjective

Definition of under-the-tablenext
as in under-the-counter

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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 under-the-table Zumba allegedly asked whether the spouse would be willing to issue real, but unauthorized, ID cards for an under-the-table payment. — Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 12 Feb. 2026 But while that under-the-table approach by Israel towards Hamas came crashing down with the October 7, 2023 attacks, concern still lingers in Ramallah, the headquarters of the PA , that the new technocratic committee could be another way to divide Palestinians by creating rival centers of power. — Andrew Carey, CNN Money, 18 Jan. 2026 In the meantime, many engage in under-the-table, unreliable work. — Colette Davidson, Christian Science Monitor, 23 Sep. 2025 The truth is, under the old system, plenty of elite players were there only for the under-the-table cash. — Rick Burton, Sportico.com, 21 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for under-the-table
Recent Examples of Synonyms for under-the-table
  1. under-the-counter
  2. unauthorized
  3. unsanctioned
  4. illicit
  5. unlicensed
  6. unapproved
  7. criminal
  8. contraband
Adjective
  • 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
Definition of under-the-counter
Adjective
  • Richards, 43, is facing two charges — touch or strike/battery/domestic violence and unauthorized use of 911 services — according to his case docket on the Broward County Clerk of Courts website Friday.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 18 July 2026
  • If an agent misbehaves, floods a system, or takes an unauthorized action, the organization on the receiving end often has no reliable way to determine who is responsible for it.
    — John Koetsier, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of unauthorized
Adjective
  • Once a signifier of unsanctioned parties, the word rave has never been more ubiquitous.
    — Kiana Mickles, Pitchfork, 15 July 2026
  • The real ask is usually governance to make the unsanctioned workflow safe, audited and scalable.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of unsanctioned
Adjective
  • In the latter case, it is found especially in countries where alcoholic drinks are hard to afford or illicit.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 July 2026
  • In Phoenix, this shift in the illicit drug supply has combined with heat, meth and homelessness to create an emerging crisis of overdose deaths in America’s fifth-largest city.
    — Josh Katz, New York Times, 15 July 2026
Definition of illicit
Adjective
  • According to Silva, some unlicensed or underqualified clinics in South Florida will attract patients with lower prices.
    — Ella Moore July 23, Miami Herald, 23 July 2026
  • More than a dozen states with sports betting bans on the books have sued Kalshi and Polymarket for allegedly circumventing state laws by running unlicensed, unregulated gambling platforms.
    — Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 20 July 2026
Definition of unlicensed
Adjective
  • With 67% of employees engaging in shadow AI usage at work, this unapproved use of chatbots and other AI agents is potentially exposing companies’ sensitive data.
    — Ryan Grant, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
  • One employee took responsibility for not catching the boys’ early and unapproved departure.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 18 July 2026
Definition of unapproved
Adjective
  • Because Hostin had no criminal history and cooperated with officers, police said he was issued a summons for trespass and released.
    — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 21 July 2026
  • The arrests were approved by the leaders of the Justice Department’s criminal division, a source told CNN.
    — Julianna Bragg, CNN Money, 21 July 2026
Definition of criminal
Adjective
  • Bhagwanpuria allegedly oversaw and directed the global activities of the group from a jail cell in India, using contraband cellphones and other voiceover internet protocol devices, according to the indictment.
    — Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
  • The indictment also charges four current and former federal inmates accused of coordinating drops using contraband cellphones.
    — Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 24 June 2026
Definition of contraband

Browse Nearby Words

under the influence
under-the-table
under the weather
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Under-the-table.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/under-the-table. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

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