back door

British  

noun

1. a door at the rear or side of a building

2. 1. a means of entry to a job, position, etc, that is secret, underhand, or obtained through influence

   2. ( as modifier )

      a backdoor way of making firms pay more

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back door Idioms  

1. 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]

2. 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]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

back door

They also both owned cats while living at the house, which explained why a catflap was already at the back door when the Harwoods arrived.

From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026

“Come on, Gus,” Roebuck said, trying to let the dog out the back door to investigate.

From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026

The United Arab Emirates said late Tuesday that it has suspended financial and economic transactions with Iran, potentially threatening Tehran’s access to a major source of imports and a financial back door to the world.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

As he fled, Franco’s daughter opened her bedroom door and caught a glimpse of a man in black clothing running out a back door.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

And I follow Celia out the back door.

From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko

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Related Words

• side door

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