closed door
15
4.2
- noun
:
a puerta cerrada
- What is discussed behind closed doors often remains a mystery to outsiders.
There's so many deals behind these closed doors.
- There's so many deals behind these closed doors.
- So Manhattan itself is definitely much more upscale, but behind closed doors there's still plenty of bad behaviour going on.
- And while some of the struggles played out in public, other key moments took place behind closed doors, and until now, we're buried in the archives.
- So we wanted to be as intimate as we could with his life and showing an aspect of who this person was behind closed doors.
- Going to her house, into her room behind closed doors, sending her a letter that says I love you in ways I can't even describe.
- But in a world that you could hide behind closed doors, non Internet, non media and everybody's fingertips, people went to bad behavior.
- And then as soon as you're behind closed doors, the narcissistic person is able to take off the mask and go back to the full blown rage and contempt.
- However, all that charitable do gooderness seems to fade behind closed doors when they're with their family.
- God damn do y'all know what a closed door means?
- I'm sorry, like again, I hear and see so many of the behind the closed doors action that you may not be Privy to.
Examples
-
Players are also able to learn what coaches are saying about them behind closed doors.
Blog text (9) -
As they were leaving, she lingered in the quiet front room, looking down the hallway to Frank's closed door.
Fiction book (1995) -
Every key to every closed door on this planet is right here in your mind.
-
Someone was working behind closed doors at the Post Office, a few lights on.
Fiction book (1995) -
People are very afraid of talking about this issue, but behind closed doors, everybody knows what's going on.
-
So obviously, there is more that goes on behind closed doors that we are not privy to.
Blog text (5) -
The possibility of national bankruptcy... will be dealt with entirely behind closed doors.
-
You're not there 24/7; you don't know what goes on behind closed doors.
Blog text (24) -
Many important decisions are made behind closed doors where the public cannot see them.
-
The negotiations continued behind closed doors to keep the details confidential.
Synonyms
∞
2.2
Not shared with others about a person's life or feelings
∞
2.0
Hidden so other people do not know about it
205
5.3
Not shared with others because it should be secret
139
8.8
Known only to a small, trusted group
125
1.1
A thing that is not easily seen or found
117
6.8
Done secretly to avoid being seen or known
42
7.0
Not willing to tell others about something
35
5.1
A place not seen or visited by many people
19
5.3
Not open to the public and held privately by a small group
16
1.3
Not open to the public and limited to certain people
13
7.5
People keep it secret from most others to avoid being noticed
7
8.5
Done secretly because people would disapprove
5
3.7
Hidden so people cannot see it
1
7.5
People in power keep it secret to hide a problem
1
7.2
Kept secret from the public, often about meetings or plans
Not told to others until a set time or event
A secret way of doing things to hide small dishonest acts
An area in a room or building separated from others by a hanging cloth to give privacy
Hidden away from other people
Antonyms
How Private
Surface Forms
Morphology
The sense 'private/hidden' is directly derivable from combining 'closed' (not open) with 'door' (a gateway or point of access): a closed door signals no access or visibility. This literal compositional mapping and its metaphorical extension to secrecy is common across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Closed door comes from the simple image of a shut room: when people close a door, it hides what is inside so others cannot see or hear. So, saying something happened behind a closed door means it was 'private'.