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.
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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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Through clandestine operations and cyberattacks, the country sabotaged key Iranian nuclear facilities.Suzanne Maloney, Foreign Affairs, 10 Dec. 2024
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She's Helen, an agent passing on tips from high up in the Prime Minister's office to a clandestine agency (her loving husband happens to be Britain's defense minister).Tom Gliatto, People.com, 10 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The canard that the Jan. 6 riot was actually an FBI setup and was driven on by undercover agents has been circulating since the days after the attack.Will Carless, USA TODAY, 14 Dec. 2024
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More than a decade later, the disgraced politician was found guilty of soliciting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes from undercover feds and stealing money meant to help senior citizens.John Annese, New York Daily News, 12 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The trial was moved from Jerusalem for undisclosed security reasons and convened in an underground courtroom.Reuters, CNN, 10 Dec. 2024
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The trial proceedings, moved to a secure underground Tel Aviv courtroom, highlight Netanyahu's unique position as the first Israeli prime minister to testify as a criminal defendant.Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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But all of that changed starting in 2017, when Mr. Trump became president amid the F.B.I. investigation into Russia’s covert attempt to manipulate the 2016 election and the nature of the ties between his campaign and Moscow.Charlie Savage, New York Times, 15 Dec. 2024
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The indictment shows that the FBI unraveled some of the covert schemes and identified specific perpetrators.Michael Kan, PCMAG, 12 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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African American freshmen enrollment has notably decreased by 16.9% at highly selective public and private nonprofit four-year schools.Janae Bowens, Baltimore Sun, 14 Dec. 2024
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The Humphreys family sold a 25% stake in the business to the Carlyle Group, a $447 billion (assets under management) private equity firm, for an undisclosed sum in 2019.Jemima McEvoy, Forbes, 14 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near backstairs
Cite this Entry
“Backstairs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backstairs. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.
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