back door
Britishnoun
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a door at the rear or side of a building
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a means of entry to a job, position, etc, that is secret, underhand, or obtained through influence
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( as modifier )
a backdoor way of making firms pay more
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An entry at the rear of a building, as in Deliveries are supposed to be made at the back door only . [First half of 1500s]
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A clandestine, unauthorized, or illegal way of operating. For example, Salesmen are constantly trying to push their products by offering special gifts through the back door . This term alludes to the fact that the back door cannot be seen from the front. [Late 1500s]
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.