off-screen

adverb or adjective

variants or offscreen
Synonyms of off-screennext
1
: out of sight of the movie or television viewer
a shot fired off-screen
Before long, Anthony introduces himself to the family pooch, who is whooshed away to an off-screen death.Kris Turnquist
2
: in private life : when not appearing in a movie, on television, etc.
Moyer's off-screen magnetism comes from a down-to-earth friendliness.Kate Hahn
Pfeiffer, 34, remains a mystery woman offscreen.Michael A. Lipton

Examples of off-screen in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Though Reeve himself didn't appear in the film, Marc McClure did reprise his role as Jimmy Olsen from the Superman movies — and Slater still connected with Reeve off-screen. Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 1 July 2026 Ahead, catch up on the cast’s off-screen romances. Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 26 June 2026 The Emmy winner tells PEOPLE about the Netflix hit and creating off-screen friendships that translated into strong onscreen dynamics. Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026 Another big moment in the finale is Tom and Mary finally getting engaged and married off-screen. Arushi Jacob, Variety, 25 June 2026 From the court documents, police were able to confirm interaction through surveillance before the two disappeared off-screen. Jessica Riley, CBS News, 23 June 2026 Stella, 15, spent most of last summer in Atlanta filming the family comedy, learning to strike a balance between her on- and off-screen lives. Jim Dudlicek, Chicago Tribune, 14 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1916, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of off-screen was in 1916

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Cite this Entry

“Off-screen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/off-screen. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

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