behind-the-scenes

adjective

be·​hind-the-scenes bi-ˈhīnd-ṯẖə-ˈsēnz 

bē-

1

: being or working out of public view or in secret

behind-the-scenes lobbying for more money

a behind-the-scenes player

2

: revealing or reporting the hidden workings

a behind-the-scenes account

a behind-the-scenes glimpse

Synonyms

• confidential
• esoteric
• hush-hush
• hushed
• inside
• intimate
• nonpublic
• private
• privy
• secret

Examples of behind-the-scenes in a Sentence

a tell-all book about the behind-the-scenes negotiations that got him the vice presidential nomination

behind-the-scenes negotiations that resulted in the hostages being released unharmed

Recent Examples on the Web

These are the types of behind-the-scenes jobs that companies have traditionally assigned to neurodivergent employees. —Pamela Furr, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025

Prep Rally is devoted to the SoCal high school sports experience, bringing you scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular. —Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025

The behind-the-scenes footage of Rush creating OceanGate and the vessel was fascinating. —Addie Morfoot, Variety, 9 June 2025

In a behind-the-scenes look on TikTok, she — again — highlighted the product, adding another layer to her cheeks before flashing a smile in the mirror. —Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 9 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1850, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for behind-the-scenes

• catecholamines
• phenothiazines
• alkenes
• amines
• benzenes
• canteens
• convenes
• cosines
• cuisines
• eumenes
• hellenes
• latrines