offstage

American  

[awf-steyj, of-] / ˈɔfˈsteɪdʒ, ˈɒf- /

adverb

1. off the stage or in the wings; away from the view of the audience (onstage ).

2. in one's private life rather than on the stage.

   Offstage the actress seemed rather plain.

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adjective

1. not in view of the audience; backstage, in the wings, etc..

   an offstage crash.

2. withheld from public view or attention; private.

   offstage political meetings.

offstage British  

/ ˈɒfˈsteɪdʒ /

adjective

1. out of the view of the audience; off the stage

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Etymology

Origin of offstage

First recorded in 1920–25; off + stage

Example Sentences

Then, he satirizes conservatives’ discomfort with his Blackness by sitting silently as Martin Short, playing a nervous young Republican delivering a hackneyed diatribe, shudders in his presence before scampering offstage to fall apart.

From Salon • Feb. 22, 2026

When he finished, he simply wandered into the darkness offstage.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 2, 2026

The final scene is a reprise of the beginning, showing Springsteen coming offstage after a show and expressing to his manager that it’s good to be back.

From Salon • Oct. 28, 2025

Despite maintaining somewhat of an illusion that they’re not friends offstage, there’s a mutual admiration between the two.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 15, 2025

As I walk offstage into the wings, it’s as though I’m swimming through a sea of sounds—clapping and whistling and foot-stamping and whooping.

From "The Queen of Water" by Laura Resau

Related Words

• unauthorized