back-door man
1
8.9
- noun
- /ˈbækˌdɔr mæn/
- US
:
hombre de la sombra
Examples
-
- You're a back-door man.
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The politician often had a back-door man who helped him navigate the complexities of city hall.
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In the corporate world, a back-door man can influence decisions without being officially recognized.
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She became known as a back-door man, quietly managing the details while others took the spotlight.
Synonyms
9
7.9
A person who secretly controls other people and their actions
1
8.2
A person who secretly controls other people from behind the scenes
A person who secretly controls people from behind the scenes
A person who gives expert advice and makes decisions behind the scenes
A woman who gives important advice behind the scenes without a public role
Antonyms
How Public
Surface Forms
Morphology
back-door + man
The compound 'back-door' evokes the literal ‘back door’ (a secondary/hidden entrance), which can be extended metaphorically to mean secret or unofficial access; combined with 'man' this yields 'a person who operates secretly.' However the adjectival/metaphorical use of 'back-door' is not purely compositional and may require familiarity with the metaphorical extension, so it is partially but not fully predictable for a B1 learner.
Etymology
Back-door man may come from the image of a man who uses the back door to enter a place quietly and work 'behind the scenes'. That's why it now means 'a person who works secretly to arrange things'.