Dictionary.com

under-the-table

[ uhn-der-thuh-tey-buhl ]
/ ˈʌn dər ðəˈteɪ bəl /
See synonyms for under-the-table on Thesaurus.com

adjective

transacted in secret or in an underhanded manner.

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Origin of under-the-table

First recorded in 1945–50

Words nearby under-the-table

under the hammer, under the impression, under the influence, under the knife, under the sun, under-the-table, under the weather, under the wire, underthings, underthroating, underthrust
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Words related to under-the-table

confidential, covert, classified, secretive, surreptitious, furtive, hush-hush, restricted, unauthorized, clandestine, hidden, undercover, conspiratorial, close, inside, sneak, backstairs, backdoor, secret, privy

Example sentences from the Web for under-the-table

British Dictionary definitions for under-the-table

under the table

adjective

(under-the-table when prenominal) done illicitly and secretly
slang drunk
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Idioms and Phrases with under-the-table

under the table

In secret, as in They paid her under the table so as to avoid taxes. This term alludes to money being passed under a table in some shady transaction, such as a bribe. [Mid-1900s] Also see under the counter.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.