backdoor
Americannoun
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a door at the rear of a house, building, etc..
Fans were waiting by the backdoor of the theater, hoping to catch a glimpse of the band.
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a secret, furtive, or illicit manner or means.
The business has a backdoor through which the board of directors can access slush fund money.
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an indirect manner or means.
Marriage counseling was a kind of backdoor into therapy, where I finally faced my dysfunctional relationship with my mother.
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Computers. a secret access point or undocumented vulnerability in a software program, hardware component, or digital network, sometimes intentionally maintained as for remote developer access, but also sometimes created or exploited for unauthorized access by hackers.
If half of all devices have disclosed backdoors, cybersecurity experts must assume that the number of devices affected by undisclosed or malicious backdoors is much higher.
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Slang: Usually Vulgar. anus.
adjective
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Special interests pushed through a backdoor contract before the bidding period had expired.
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The immigration reform bill included backdoor amnesty for employed undocumented residents.
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Computers. relating to, using, or noting an indirect access point into a network, computer, or program.
Hackers used a Trojan horse to establish backdoor access to the mainframe.
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Slang: Vulgar. anal.
Etymology
Origin of backdoor
First recorded in 1520–30; back 1 ( def. ) + door
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.
Keeping pretax money out of IRAs can also enable so-called backdoor Roth IRA contributions in future years.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 29, 2026
But Sir Brian Leveson, the Investigatory Powers Commissioner, who provides independent oversight of the use of surveillance powers, has previously criticised media use of the term "backdoor", external.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
“Partially Devoured” also functions as a backdoor autobiography.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
Millions of digital home devices in the U.S. have pre-installed backdoor software, creating residential proxy networks used by nation-state hackers to mask cyberattacks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026
I went downstairs and slipped out the backdoor, pretending I was going to the outhouse, in case she woke up.
From Full of Beans by Jennifer L. Holm
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.
