back door

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

Idioms and Phrases

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]

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]

Example Sentences

Which is what she did one cold evening two years ago, slipping out the back door while I was on the phone.

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At the time of the tragedy, authorities said only one proper exit was functioning at the club as the back door had been locked.

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Then a loud scraping noise sounds from the back door.

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If we wanted to eat at a Whites-only restaurant, we had to go to the back door and order takeout.

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She had woken from a nap to find her back door open and her son missing, according to a police report.

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Related Words

• side door www.thesaurus.com