back channel

Or back·chan·nel

[bak chan-l]

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

• back-channel adjective
• back-channeling noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of back channel¹

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

But clearly with Gaetz, Trump was given a clear — if “back channel” — message that the nomination was “not going to work.”

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She added that China may also be "likely worried that that they lack reliable back channels to influence Trump's policy".

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“This sort of trouble is always handled through back channels,” Nam said.

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During an early 2000s bird flu outbreak in Vietnam, farmers circumvented regulations by moving poultry at night, bribing inspection workers, and selling their goods through back channels.

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Another email directly used the phrase "back channel" — a key part of prosecutors' argument about Costello's role.

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