behind the scenes

/bɪˈhaɪnd ðə siːnz//bəˈhaɪnd ðə siːnz/

prepositional phrase

behind the scenery and stage area; backstage; among the actors; during the production or rehearsal

“The government has been negotiating behind the scenes with the separatists for months.”

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Meanings

prepositional phrase

alternative behind-the-scenes · alternative BTS

  1. idiomaticbroadcastingbehind the scenery and stage area; backstage; among the actors; during the production or rehearsal

    Many videos come with features that show what went on behind the scenes to make the movie and special effects.

    1 more example

    The men who stood behind the scenes and worked the religious puppet-show by hidden wires to the awe and astonishment of the gaping vulgar.

    1890, James George Frazer, The Golden Bough, volume 2, page 134
  2. figurativelyidiomaticIn secret; out of public view.

    The government has been negotiating behind the scenes with the separatists for months.

    2 more examples

    He was more comfortable behind the scenes, he admitted, writing articles, drafting speeches for others. “I don't really have what it takes to be a hand-shaker or a baby-kisser,” he said.

    2013, Tracy Daugherty, The Boy Orator: A Novel, →ISBN

    They told me it was because they knew the Hur report was about to drop. And they knew it would have all this stuff about classified information and about him seeming superold and addled behind the scenes.

    2025 May 21, Ezra Klein, quoting Jake Tapper, “How Groupthink Protected Biden and Re-elected Trump”, in The New York Times, →ISSN
adjectivebehind the scenes (not comparable)

alternative behind-the-scenes · alternative BTS

  1. not comparableBeing or working out in secret or out of public view.
  2. not comparableDivulging or reporting hidden workings.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
abstruseclandestinecloak-and-daggercovertdeep-laidfurtivehugger-muggermysterioussub rosa

Translations

Arabic مِن وَرَاءَ السِّتارِ, وَرَاءَ الكَوالِيسِ
  • مِن وَرَاءَ السِّتارِ (min warāʔa s-sitāri)in secret; out of public view
  • وَرَاءَ الكَوالِيسِ (warāʔa l-kawālīsi)in secret; out of public view
Bulgarian зад кули́сите
  • зад кули́сите (zad kulísite)in secret; out of public view
Catalan entre bastidors
  • entre bastidorsin secret; out of public view
Chinese Mandarin 幕後 /幕后
  • 幕後 /幕后 (mùhòu)in secret; out of public view
Czech v zákulisí
  • v zákulisíin secret; out of public view
Danish bag kulisserne
  • bag kulissernein secret; out of public view
Dutch achter de schermen, achter de coulissen
  • achter de schermenin secret; out of public view
  • achter de coulissenin secret; out of public view
Estonian kulisside taga, tagaplaanil
  • kulisside tagain secret; out of public view
  • tagaplaanilin secret; out of public view
Finnish kulissien takana, kulisseissa
  • kulissien takanain secret; out of public view
  • kulisseissain secret; out of public view
French en coulisse, de l'autre côté du décor
  • en coulissein secret; out of public view
  • de l'autre côté du décorin secret; out of public view
  • dans les coulissesin secret; out of public view
German hinter den Kulissen, hinter den Kulissen
  • hinter den Kulissentheatre/film
  • hinter den Kulissenin secret; out of public view
Greek παρασκηνιακά, παρασκηνιακά
  • παρασκηνιακά (paraskiniaká)theatre/film
  • παρασκηνιακά (paraskiniaká)in secret; out of public view
Hebrew מְאֲחוֹרֵי הַפַּרְגּוֹד, מְאֲחוֹרֵי הַקְּלָעִים
  • מְאֲחוֹרֵי הַפַּרְגּוֹד (me'akhoréi ha-pargód)in secret; out of public view
  • מְאֲחוֹרֵי הַקְּלָעִים (me'akhoréi ha-kla'ím)in secret; out of public view
Hungarian a kulisszák mögött, a színfalak mögött
  • a kulisszák mögöttin secret; out of public view
  • a színfalak mögöttin secret; out of public view
Italian dietro le quinte
  • dietro le quintein secret; out of public view
Japanese 舞台裏
  • 舞台裏 (butaiura)in secret; out of public view
Korean 비하인드, 막후
  • 비하인드 (bihaindeu)theatre/film
  • 막후 (makhu)in secret; out of public view
Norwegian Bokmål bak kulissene
  • bak kulissenein secret; out of public view
Polish za kulisami, za kulisami
  • za kulisamitheatre/film
  • za kulisamiin secret; out of public view
Portuguese nos bastidores, por detrás dos bastidores
  • nos bastidoresin secret; out of public view
  • por detrás dos bastidoresin secret; out of public view
  • por baixo dos panosin secret; out of public view
Russian за кули́сами, за ка́дром
  • за кули́сами (za kulísami)in secret; out of public view
  • за ка́дром (za kádrom)in secret; out of public view
  • в кулуа́рах (v kuluárax)in secret; out of public view
Slovak v zákulisí
  • v zákulisíin secret; out of public view
Spanish detrás del telón, entre bastidores
  • detrás del telónin secret; out of public view
  • entre bastidoresin secret; out of public view
  • tras bambalinasin secret; out of public view
Swedish bakom kulisserna
  • bakom kulissernain secret; out of public view
Turkish kafes ardından, kulis arkasında
  • kafes ardındanin secret; out of public view
  • kulis arkasındain secret; out of public view
Ukrainian за кулі́сами, за лашту́нками
  • за кулі́сами (za kulísamy)in secret; out of public view
  • за лашту́нками (za laštúnkamy)in secret; out of public view
  • за ка́дром (za kádrom)in secret; out of public view
Yiddish הינטער די קוליסן
  • הינטער די קוליסן (hinter di kulisn)in secret; out of public view
Cite this entry
APA

behind the scenes. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/behind%20the%20scenes

MLA

“behind the scenes.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/behind%20the%20scenes. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “behind the scenes,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/behind%20the%20scenes.

Source: behind the scenes on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.