as in clandestine
undertaken or done so as to escape being observed or known by others
an influential Washington lobbyist who has been involved in a number of backstairs deals to limit regulation of financial institutions
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Recent Examples of backstairs
And in North Carolina, a boyish trial lawyer with jury-pleasing charm (John Edwards) knocked off Lauch Faircloth, a GOP senator who played a backstairs role in getting Kenneth Starr appointed as independent counsel.
—
Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 6 June 2019
Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 6 June 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backstairs
Adjective
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Dark, dim, and a little grungy, with its scuffed checkerboard floors, worn old couches, peeling walls, and chalkboard menus, La Factoria feels like a clandestine underground speakeasy.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 May 2026
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Filling out the role of Ilya is Jay Armstrong Johnson; Jimin Moon plays Shane; Ryann Redmond plays a wine-mom narrator who lives for their clandestine love.—
Dan Stahl,
New Yorker,
1 May 2026
Adjective
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Gaff reportedly obliged, providing the undercover detectives with a sample that was subsequently sent through the federal database CODIS, where investigators ultimately linked him to Weaver's murder.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
18 May 2026
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Essayli on Monday confirmed that Armstrong became known to the DOJ after an undercover video was posted online by James O'Keefe, the founder of conservative nonprofit Project Veritas.—
Austin Turner,
CBS News,
18 May 2026
Adjective
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Get Ready: Katy Perry Has Released a Sneak Peek of Her New Song And the internet has receipts.—
Mehera Bonner,
Marie Claire,
15 Mar. 2017
Adjective
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Archaeologists then debated whether the tunnel was some kind of underground agricultural or industrial installation, but its scale and uniqueness in the region ruled out that possibility.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
16 May 2026
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Having been filtered through porous underground lava for decades, Silfra boasts exceptionally pure drinking water.—
Carinne Geil Botta,
Travel + Leisure,
16 May 2026
Adjective
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Amarteifio and Edebiri have an understated chemistry that makes the covert passion between these two women believable.—
Lovia Gyarkye,
HollywoodReporter,
16 May 2026
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These UUVs are becoming increasingly capable of autonomous operations and performing adaptive search patterns enabling wide area covert operations.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
14 May 2026
Adjective
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Ibrahim’s injuries prevent him from working, so Hiba supports the household, often picking up private cleaning jobs from Facebook ads.—
Annie Hylton,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
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Located on a private reserve northeast of the park, Awasi Patagonia puts you an hour away from the Laguna Amarga entrance, and many guests spend their week doing day hikes.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Backstairs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backstairs. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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