variants or offscreen
1
: out of sight of the movie or television viewer
a shot fired off-screen
Before long, Anthony introduces himself to the family pooch, who is whooshed away to an off-screen death. Kris Turnquist
2
: in private life : when not appearing in a movie, on television, etc.
Moyer's off-screen magnetism comes from a down-to-earth friendliness. Kate Hahn
Pfeiffer, 34, remains a mystery woman offscreen. Michael A. Lipton

Examples of off-screen in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
After meeting on the set of Spider-Man: Homecoming in 2016, the costars went on to appear in the film’s sequel, Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), before their off-screen romance went public just six months prior to the release of Spider-Man: No Way Home in December 2021. Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 20 Dec. 2024 Jenkins’ film can be alarmingly violent at times, although the PG rating presumably explains why every death occurs off-screen. Peter Debruge, Variety, 17 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1916, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of off-screen was in 1916

Dictionary Entries Near off-screen

Cite this Entry

“Off-screen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/off-screen. Accessed 1 Jan. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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