under-the-table
adjective
transacted in secret or in an underhanded manner.
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under-the-table
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under the table
under the tableadjective(under-the-table when prenominal) done illicitly and secretly
under-the-table
American
[uhn-der-thuh-tey-buhl]
/ ˈʌn dər ðəˈteɪ bəl /
adjective
under the table
British
adjective
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(under-the-table when prenominal) done illicitly and secretly
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slang drunk
under the table
Idioms
Etymology
Origin of under-the-table
First recorded in 1945–50
Explanation
Anything that happens under-the-table is taking place secretly, like under-the-table payments that are illegal. The things on a table are easily seen, but it's not as easy to see what's happening under the table. That can help you remember that under-the-table activities are secret, covert, confidential, and sometimes illegal. If two businesses have an under-the-table agreement, no one else knows about it. If a company pays someone under-the-table, the money is not documented and therefore won't be taxed. Just about everything spies do happens under-the-table.
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.
See Examples For:
North Korea’s pre-Covid economy had increasingly centered on black markets selling goods smuggled from China or under-the-table local goods—and with it the rise of a “donju” merchant class who made their wealth outside state control.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 8, 2026
Pilot’s former CEO also extended the offer of under-the-table payments to at least 10 other executives in April, according to Berkshire’s filing.
From Washington Times ● Nov. 29, 2023
They joined his wife’s family in Fremont, Calif., where Carrillo, who has a tourist visa but not a work permit, washed dishes at a restaurant for under-the-table pay.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2023
She cycled through seven under-the-table jobs - as a babysitter, housekeeper, waitress and construction worker - within the first year.
From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2023
They were not more than four or five inches thick, but that is the ideal height for an under-the-table cushion.
From The House in Good Taste by Elsie de Wolfe
Where had this man gotten the impression that I enjoyed dancing, my nervous foot swinging under the table?
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
"I just ducked under the table and I was like 'I'm not going to risk this,'" she told AFP.
From Barron's ● Apr. 26, 2026
As they sneak bites of steak under the table, Y and Yasmin know their non-careers are doomed to end.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 3, 2026
I'm keeping my battered bowler hat under the table in case you grace us with another round of radio brilliance.
From BBC ● Mar. 12, 2026
I nudged Jenna under the table with my toe, but she was now busy pulling out her notebooks.
From "Keep It Together, Keiko Carter" by Debbi Michiko Florence
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.
