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
  • Coleman found instructive a 1938 ruling in favor of the Pittsburgh Pirates, who challenged a radio station that placed observers on a rooftop next to Forbes Field and paid them to provide play-by-play for an unauthorized radio broadcast.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Sanchez has been charged with a level five felony of battery involving serious bodily injury, as well as the misdemeanors of battery resulting in injury, unauthorized entry of a motor vehicle and public intoxication.
    — Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of unauthorized
Adjective
  • Set early during the New Republic era, the game introduces the Galactic League, an unsanctioned racing circuit assembled by Darius Pax.
    — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The company is drawing a line between sanctioned and unsanctioned sharing with outside safety groups at the same time the industry is, slowly, inviting those groups in.
    — Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of unsanctioned
Adjective
  • The group’s president and CEO, Steve Lamar, said the AAFA is urging stronger action against platforms that enable the trade of dupes and fakes, which can be dangerous to consumers as the illicit goods are produced through unregulated operations.
    — Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Both local and federal investigators are investigating the source and supplier of the illicit drugs.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of illicit
Adjective
  • He also was involved in high-profile litigation against Suno and Anthropic for unlicensed training and artist-centric deals with TikTok, Hook, NetEase Cloud Music and Roblox, among others.
    — Claudia Rosenbaum, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026
  • In March, the city repealed criminal penalties against unlicensed vendors, leaving enforcement up to the Department of Sanitation and the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection.
    — Daniel Edward Rosen, Washington Post, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of unlicensed
Adjective
  • Over the past two months, companies including OpenAI and Anthropic disclosed multiple incidents in which their AI agents accessed the internet when they weren't supposed to and carried out unapproved activities.
    — Katie McQue, NPR, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Kratom has gained popularity as an unapproved treatment for pain, anxiety and drug dependence.
    — Josh Feldman, NBC news, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of unapproved
Adjective
  • The charges include organized theft and criminal association, said Marseille prosecutor Nicolas Bessone.
    — SYLVIE CORBET, Arkansas Online, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Russell Brand has arrived to London’s Southwark Crown Court for the start of his criminal trial.
    — K.J. Yossman, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of criminal
Adjective
  • Officers searched the restroom and found a package of contraband drugs, including K2, high-potency THC wax and suboxone strips.
    — DeJanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • His current release date is scheduled for March 2028, a recent change after he was reportedly caught using a contraband cell phone to scroll on Instagram.
    — Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of contraband

Browse Nearby Words

under the influence
under-the-table
under the weather
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Cite this Entry

“Under-the-table.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/under-the-table. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

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