black op

American  

Or black operation

noun

1. Often black ops a secret mission or campaign carried out by a military, governmental, or other organization, typically one in which the organization conceals or denies its involvement.

   Some national intelligence agencies use black ops to undermine enemy governments.

   The company even resorted to an industrial black op to steal secrets from its competitor.

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Etymology

Origin of black op

First recorded in 1940–50

Example Sentences

When Ms Harper complained, she claims she was targeted in a "black op" in a failed attempt to criminalise and discredit her.

From BBC • Aug. 16, 2018

DKA, as in two previous novels, survives�after an adrenaline-pumping, nationwide search for a missing witness, conducted in large part by the niftiest black op in the literature.

From Time Magazine Archive