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 sends him on an off-the-books job to the London Mother House to use his mind-probing powers on Jasper (William Fichtner), a powerful vampire with a personal vendetta against the Talamasca.
—
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 25 Oct. 2025
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
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
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 25 Oct. 2025
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
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
-
The paper reported that Williamson and Wilkins never met, had one off-the-record phone call, and exchanged emails during the course of Williamson’s reporting.—
Staff Author,
PEOPLE,
24 Apr. 2026
-
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
Adjective
-
The role of the two CIA agents who were returning from destroying a clandestine drug lab in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua remains unclear.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The role of the two CIA agents, who were returning from destroying a clandestine drug lab in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua, remains unclear.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
25 Apr. 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
-
The upside of the bar's surreptitious locale is sometimes not having to share it with a soul; the downside is the potential lack of a pool partner, so bring your own.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Over the following 12 days, investigators determined that Lulinski had used his cell phone on multiple occasions to take inappropriate and surreptitious photos or videos of minors during normal school activities.—
CBS Atlanta Digital Team,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
These were actually undercover police officers.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Federal prosecutors in Alabama secured an 11-count indictment accusing the organization of paying millions of dollars to some of those undercover informants and hiding the real purpose of the payments from its donors.—
Josh Meyer,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
At the center of the potential outreach is Vice President JD Vance, who is being considered for a return trip to Islamabad, where back-channel negotiations have quietly taken place.—
Sara Cook,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Epstein, the records show, tried to initiate a back-channel meeting between the Saudi crown prince and Qatar’s ex-prime minister.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Indeed, our research suggests AI chatbots could easily be used for covert advertising to manipulate their human users.—
Brian Jay Tang,
The Conversation,
24 Apr. 2026
-
In a series first, Captain Sig Hansen launches an unprecedented covert scouting mission, deploying an underwater drone into the unknown waters in a bold attempt to locate the rare strain of king crab before the rest of the fleet arrives.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Many Cubans have expressed concern on social media about how private entities that will care for the elderly will be chosen and who will decide which people are considered vulnerable enough to enter the centers.—
Sarah Moreno
Updated April 29,
Miami Herald,
29 Apr. 2026
-
In addition to the impact on tip fees, Spino said Torrington could gain an additional $100,000 a year in tax revenues if the facility were to be sold to a private company.—
John Moritz,
Hartford Courant,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Off-the-books.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/off-the-books. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
