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-tay-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:
We were not asking for a discount or proposing any kind of under-the-table deal.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 24, 2026
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
Since 2022 she has lived in Mexico City, working odd jobs for under-the-table pay because she lacks legal status.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 12, 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 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
She brought her dog, a small, rambunctious golden doodle who kept moving around under the table.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2026
It’s a better and more transparent system than, say, local car dealers offering athletes tricked-out pickup trucks under the table.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 30, 2025
Reliable economic figures are hard to come by and a large portion of incomes are earned under the table in the informal sector.
From Barron's ● Nov. 14, 2025
Green Bay's defence could be scarily good once Parsons really gets his feet under the table.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2025
She set the headpieces on the worktable, pulled a box from a drawer under the table, and handed it to me.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
