under-the-table

Definition of under-the-tablenext

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
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
Adjective
  • Every jurisdiction prohibits the unauthorized practice of law.
    Hamid Kohan, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • DeLaune, of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, said parents can be a key line of defense against the proliferation of unauthorized images.
    Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Then in August, the UK AI Security Institute shared a report detailing how Anthropic’s Mythos 5 took autonomous, unsanctioned actions on the internet in a training evaluation, targeting real people and organizations.
    Tim Keary, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • This involves using a separate large language model that can approve or deny actions requested by the AI models that are undergoing cyber testing, which can help stop unsanctioned actions.
    Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 5 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • China’s industrial overcapacity has lowered the costs of building and operating illicit enterprises.
    Alvin Camba, Foreign Affairs, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Then again, maybe in Kawhi’s case, even illicit payments are load-managed.
    Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • And in recent weeks, concerns about that history — including accusations of nonpayment and unlicensed screenings at the Kingsway — have traveled west through something of an industry whisper network, increasingly spilling into public view.
    Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 26 Aug. 2026
  • States and tribal groups accuse them of offering an unlicensed gambling product under the guise of being a financial asset.
    Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 24 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda were all assessed six-place grid penalties for unapproved engine changes.
    Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Up to 59% of employees are using unapproved or shadow AI tools in the workplace.
    Terry Oroszi, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Erdogan has called Netanyahu a war criminal and repeatedly accused Israel of atrocities in Gaza; Netanyahu has accused Erdogan of supporting Hamas.
    Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026
  • That’s a question usually put to criminal defendants and key players in a scandal, not the District Attorney’s office itself.
    Boston Herald editorial staff, Boston Herald, 25 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Prior contraband attempts involved the launch of a drone from the dead end of Noe Street, just east of the facility, deputies said.
    Paula Wethington, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Faced with this churn – as well as staffing, security and contraband-control concerns – many jails invest little in family visitation.
    Jillian Turanovic, The Conversation, 10 Aug. 2026

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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 27 Aug. 2026.

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