as in off-the-record
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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 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
-
But through time, trust and many off-the-record conversations, those six people helped create a foundation that would eventually lead them to the CEOs.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Mar. 2026
-
The 21-page agreement prohibits the gathering or publication of any information that is not authorized by the government, including declassified information and off-the-record conversations, whether obtained on or off Pentagon grounds.—
Gary Grumbach,
NBC news,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Emergency passports handed off at clandestine locations.—
Shannon K. Kingston,
ABC News,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Jerkins’ family operation included his cousin, Robert Smith, known as Big Bert, with whom Brandy began a clandestine relationship as the recording progressed.—
Jackson Howard,
Pitchfork,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
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
-
Confronted with larger workloads and a shrinking headcount, AI — both the kind officially approved by companies and more surreptitious uses — has made its way via support staff into essential Hollywood workflows, including the creative development process.—
Mia Galuppo,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Welcome to the era of surreptitious seafood, an industry gamble that overcoming Americans’ relative disinterest in the meat of the sea is all a matter of making fish look and taste less like, well, fish.—
J.m. Hirsch,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Some of the ammunition was purchased from co-conspirators by undercover officers, prosecutors said.—
Sierra van der Brug,
Oc Register,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Working with a different undercover officer, this time in a European city, Chalker successfully extracted Bernadine to America.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The source said that such a view has been communicated to the Cubans in the ongoing back-channel talks.—
Nora Gámez Torres,
Miami Herald,
4 Mar. 2026
-
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
Adjective
-
That secret, a CNN investigation has found, centered on China’s covert plans to massively expand its nuclear ambitions.—
Tamara Qiblawi,
CNN Money,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Movies set in the world of top-secret spycraft and covert operations have entertained audiences for decades.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
While some people with private insurance pay zero or very little, others pay hundreds of dollars each month on top of other costs for their diabetes, like pumps, blood glucose sensors and other supplies.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Fundraising for the project through private donations also drew controversy.—
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Off-the-books.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/off-the-books. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
