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

Scroll through for the best behind-the-scenes moments from the spring 2024 couture shows below. —Acielle / Style Du Monde, Vogue, 25 June 2024

Newsletter Get our high school sports newsletter 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, 24 June 2024

Breaking Bad did behind-the-scenes podcasts for every episode, minus the first season. —Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 June 2024

China’s state broadcaster, CCTV, has recently given a behind-the-scenes look at the nation’s latest aircraft carrier, the Fujian. —Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 24 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1850, in the meaning defined at sense 1