as in off-the-record
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Recent Examples of off-the-books
Helen wants him for an off-the-books quest to find a possibly mythical object called the Seven Five Two, and an even more off-the-books quest to find answers about a formative childhood trauma involving the Talamasca.
—
Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 24 Oct. 2025
Aishe is an undocumented immigrant from China’s Uyghur minority, scraping by doing off-the-books jobs in the Flushing neighborhood of Queens.
—Peter Larsen, Daily News, 3 Sep. 2025
Scott got his first paying job at age 11, an off-the-books gig at A Bicycle Odyssey, a bike shop in Sausalito, California, frequented by the likes of Robin Williams, members of the band The Grateful Dead and Huey Lewis.
—Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2025
In the 2021 film, Odenkirk (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul) stars as Hutch Mansell, a by-the-numbers working stiff who harbors a secret past as an off-the-books government assassin.
—Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for off-the-books
Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 24 Oct. 2025
Aishe is an undocumented immigrant from China’s Uyghur minority, scraping by doing off-the-books jobs in the Flushing neighborhood of Queens.
—Peter Larsen, Daily News, 3 Sep. 2025
Scott got his first paying job at age 11, an off-the-books gig at A Bicycle Odyssey, a bike shop in Sausalito, California, frequented by the likes of Robin Williams, members of the band The Grateful Dead and Huey Lewis.
—Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2025
In the 2021 film, Odenkirk (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul) stars as Hutch Mansell, a by-the-numbers working stiff who harbors a secret past as an off-the-books government assassin.
—Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for off-the-books
Recent Examples of Synonyms for off-the-books
Adjective
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Sometimes these occur during our quarterly CEO forums, in public but off-the-record exchanges.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
13 Jan. 2026
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Puck promises off-the-record conversations with editors in their top subscription tier, and Lauren Sherman often recaps her off-the-record dinners on her podcast and in her column.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
29 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Ortiz said Rodríguez Torres went further by overseeing the creation of clandestine detention facilities.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
10 Feb. 2026
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Yes, its signage and entryway are on the clandestine side.—
Josh Miller,
Southern Living,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Rubio, who is also Trump’s national security adviser, was one of three U.S. officials to participate in a closed-door meeting with the Russian delegation on Friday in Alaska.—
Alexis Simendinger,
The Hill,
20 Aug. 2025
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The revelation was made by House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer (R-KY) after Barr testified in a closed-door interview during the House Oversight Committee’s investigation of the federal government’s handling of Epstein’s case.—
Washington Examiner Staff,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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None was required for that surreptitious exchange– two dollars for a warm burrito neatly wrapped.—
Krista Kafer,
Denver Post,
5 Feb. 2026
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That surreptitious tally of deaths recorded by hospitals stood at 30,304 as of Friday, according to Dr. Amir Parasta, a German-Iranian eye surgeon who prepared a report of the data.—
Kay Armin Serjoie,
Time,
25 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The No Secret Police Act banned local law enforcement officers, officers from other states and federal law enforcement personnel from wearing masks except in specific circumstances — such as in tactical, SWAT or undercover operations.—
Kevin Rector,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
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The law, Senate Bill 627, had prohibited local and federal ICE officers from wearing masks except for undercover work or health reasons.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Both the president’s team and the rule-of-law defenders launched back-channel negotiations with the capitalists.—
Michael Scherer,
The Atlantic,
22 Jan. 2026
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Oman played an instrumental role in the back-channel negotiations between Iran, the United States, and Europe that led to the Iran nuclear deal in 2015.—
Galip Dalay,
Time,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The historic Vietnamese revolutionary Ho Chi Minh is said to have used the hotel as a covert meeting spot during the First Indochina War.—
Sofia Celeste,
Footwear News,
14 Feb. 2026
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What else is going on A Southern California man was sentenced to four years in prison for acting as a covert Chinese agent while helping elect an Arcadia City Council member.—
James Rainey,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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At first, video footage of the potential suspect wasn't available under Guthrie's subscription plan, but it was recovered by authorities and private-sector partners.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
12 Feb. 2026
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The designation would mean no change for the hundreds of private property owners in the zone.—
Susanne Rust
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Off-the-books.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/off-the-books. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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