behind back
Done in secret
Behind back describes actions done without someone's knowledge or presence, typically involving secrecy or betrayal.
To talk behind someone's back is to discuss them when they're not there to hear or respond.
The phrase often implies criticism, gossip, or scheming: They made the decision behind my back.
It suggests a violation of trust—doing openly what you wouldn't do to someone's face.
- secretConcealed information
- whisperSpeech without full voice
- hush hushExtremely secret, concealed
- gossipInformal talk spreading rumors
- loose lipsHabit of revealing secrets
talking trash · spine · shoulder · rear · backbone · sneaky · hidden · betray · talk · rumor · stab · covert · cloak and dagger · unseen · shadows · private · deceive · treachery
- baton twirlingflat spin, figure eight, toss, tosses, catch
- drill commandsshoulder arms, fall in, port arms, order arms, forward
behind backopenly
Without hiding anything
in the open · publicly · out in the open · in public · transparently
behind backface to face
In someone's presence
directly · upfront · in person · head-on · point-blank
behind backhonestly
In a truthful manner
aboveboard · honorably · on the level · in good faith · forthrightly
behind, back, hind, hinder, hindmost, hindrance, backward, backwards, backside