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• behind the scenes
  behind the scenes

  idiom

  in secret or in private.
• behind-the-scenes
  behind-the-scenes

  adjective

  happening or conducted out of view of the general public.

behind the scenes

¹ American  

[bih-hahynd thuh seenz] / bɪˈhaɪnd ðə ˈsinz /

idiom

1. in secret or in private.

   Unbeknownst to most people, the group manipulated the survey results from behind the scenes.

2. in a part of a show, production, organization, etc., that is not visible to the public; backstage.

   Have you ever wondered what really happens behind the scenes at a rock concert?

   Join us as we take you behind the scenes of our photo shoot and discuss some of the products used.

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behind-the-scenes ² American  

[bih-hahynd-thuh-seenz] / bɪˈhaɪnd ðəˈsinz /

adjective

1. happening or conducted out of view of the general public.

   The behind-the-scenes preparations made the convention a huge success.

2. held or kept privately by or among a few key or influential people.

   There are rumors of behind-the-scenes negotiations taking place that may change international laws on nuclear power.

3. occurring backstage.

   I could hear the behind-the-scenes activities of the stage crew.

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behind the scenes More Idioms  

1. In secret or private, away from public view, as in His struggle for the top position took place strictly behind the scenes. This term alludes to the various activities that go on behind the curtain in theaters, out of the audience's view. [Late 1700s] Also see behind closed doors.

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Etymology

Origin of behind the scenes¹

First recorded in 1660–70

Origin of behind-the-scenes²

First recorded in 1835–45

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

behind the scenes behind-the-scenes

Bastion issues white-label stablecoins for other businesses, and manages the custody of holding reserves and customer wallets behind the scenes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

In other words, the talks may already be happening behind the scenes, even if there isn’t yet a public breakthrough or a clear timeline.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026

The first female White House chief of staff, Wiles has been widely credited with driving Trump's second presidency forward behind the scenes.

From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026

But behind the scenes officials recognise the eye-watering donations from Reform UK have changed the game and some form of domestic cap may have to be considered.

From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026

Yet behind the scenes, the NSA was quietly growing more and more powerful.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield

Sowing behind-the-scenes stories about how he’s actually approaching it like a responsible statesman could play to his advantage.

From Slate ● Sep. 11, 2026

The first pair of Emmy ceremonies, formerly called the Creative Arts Emmys, are held over two nights, two weekends before the Primetime Emmy Awards, and honor many of the behind-the-scenes workers and craftspeople in television.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2026

The details of the behind-the-scenes friction between Driscoll and Hegseth are unclear but CBS notes that the army secretary is good friends with George, who was reportedly asked by Hegseth to resign.

From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026

He said that three of the behind-the-scenes folks unofficially supporting him are CEOs, while “an ex-boss or two,” rounds out the gang.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

As soon as we entered, Sahil left to talk to Victoria about setting up a quiet space for the behind-the-scenes interviews.

From "From Twinkle, with Love" by Sandhya Menon