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back channel

American  
[bak chan-l] / ˈbæk ˌtʃæn l /
Or backchannel

noun

  1. a secret, unofficial, or informal channel of communication as used in politics or diplomacy.

    sensitive information passed on through a back channel.


Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of back channel

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

To buttress their argument that an expert cannot be used as a back channel for “inadmissible hearsay,” they pointed to a nonexistent 2021 case brought by the government.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 19, 2026

Muscat served as the back channel for talks between the United States and Iran in the lead-up to the 2015 nuclear deal and mediated several rounds of talks during Trump's second term.

From Barron's Jun. 18, 2026

They say it would prefer to play the role of back channel facilitator, which Islamabad held in talks with the Taliban over the U.S. military’s withdrawal from Afghanistan.

From The Wall Street Journal Mar. 29, 2026

It is possible that back channel contacts could well produce a ceasefire, followed by a return to talks.

From BBC Mar. 1, 2026

We were trying to get up a slue, or back channel, by a short cut, and the stern-wheel never spun twice in the same direction.

From From Sea to Sea Letters of Travel by Rudyard Kipling

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