off-the-record

adjective

Definition of off-the-recordnext
as in closed-door

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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-record Conecta Summit, an invitation-only session, will bring together 20 senior international executives from studios, streamers, production companies and big tech in a closed-door, off-the-record setting. — Emiliano De Pablos, Variety, 11 May 2026 Ars recently visited True Anomaly’s headquarters for an off-the-record tour, then sat down with Rogers to chat about the vision, risks, and rewards in True Anomaly’s orbit. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 19 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 Only days after announcing the formation of the Rockefeller Commission in January 1975, Ford accidentally shared at an off-the-record lunch with executives and editors from The New York Times that his concern about abuses involved assassinations. — Tim Naftali, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for off-the-record
Recent Examples of Synonyms for off-the-record
  1. closed-door
  2. off-the-books
  3. back-channel
  4. confidential
  5. clandestine
  6. surreptitious
Adjective
  • Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates departs after a closed-door interview with the House Oversight Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on June 10, 2026.
    — Dan Mangan, CNBC, 23 June 2026
Definition of closed-door
Adjective
  • In Disclosure Day, cybersecurity expert Daniel Kellner (O’Connor) steals files confirming alien contact from the Wardex Corporation, an off-the-books non-governmental organization.
    — Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 13 June 2026
  • But statistics fail to convey the humanity of yard sales—the caprice, whimsy, and high spirits, as well as the cunning, weirdness, and heartbreak, that charge and thicken the air when two people agree to perform an off-the-books monetary transaction.
    — Caity Weaver, The Atlantic, 12 June 2026
Definition of off-the-books
Adjective
  • The real deals are locked in over late-night dinners, back-channel texts and quiet handshakes months in advance.
    — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The route threads through waterfront parks, past the Island Park and Wildlife Sanctuary’s back-channel islands, and along quiet residential streets.
    — John Godfrey Published, Midwest Living, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of back-channel
Adjective
  • People who hold more senior positions in the system, or who have access to confidential information, generally have tighter restrictions placed upon them, according to several sources familiar with the matter and open government announcements.
    — Sylvie Zhuang, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026
  • SpaceX has requested to keep the photos of the device, along with the user manual, confidential over the next 180 days.
    — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of confidential
Adjective
  • In reality, the clandestine operation meant that, for a portion of time, the President’s real whereabouts were seemingly unknown to—and concealed from—the White House press pool.
    — Tiago Ventura, Time, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Mexican authorities have dismantled well over a thousand clandestine drug laboratories, seized enormous quantities of narcotics and fentanyl pills, arrested thousands of cartel operatives, and extradited major criminal figures to the United States.
    — Chris Shays, Hartford Courant, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of clandestine
Adjective
  • The district attorney’s office has been less aggressive in prosecuting those who made surreptitious recordings in the past.
    — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The surreptitious approach consists of asking AI to suggest ways to bypass the myriad restrictions.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
Definition of surreptitious

Browse Nearby Words

off-the-rack
off-the-record
off-the-shelf
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Off-the-record.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/off-the-record. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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