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Glite Dictionary
to talk under the table

to talk under the table

9.6
To speak more and make others stop talking
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : hablar más que los demás
  • She's so charismatic that she can talk under the table even the most experienced debaters.

Examples

  • She always talks under the table when discussing politics.

  • During the meeting, Linda managed to talk under the table all her colleagues.

  • Don't try to argue with Mark—he'll just talk under the table you every time.

  • Don't talk under the table during the meeting!

  • In every discussion, Jake tends to talk under the table, leaving little room for others to contribute.

  • At the conference, Sarah can easily talk under the table her opponents with her persuasive skills.

  • Whenever they debate, Lisa always manages to talk under the table anyone who disagrees with her.

Synonyms

to outtalk
vsto talk under the table
1 7.0

To talk more than someone in an argument to stop them being heard

focuses more on eloquence or sustained skill rather than mere length
to overtalk
vsto talk under the table
1 6.4

To talk so much that you stop others from speaking

does so by being especially eloquent or persistently persuasive
to talk someone under the table
vsto talk under the table
  • Informal
8.6

To talk longer and more skillfully so the other person cannot answer

is based on lasting eloquence or persistence rather than only clever persuasion
to steamroll the discussion
vsto talk under the table
  • Informal
8.7

To take control of a discussion and ignore other people's ideas

uses eloquence or persistence rather than sheer force or rudeness

Antonyms

to listen
∞ 1.0

Pay attention to sounds or speech to hear and understand them

How Dominant

to overtalk
1 6.4
to talk under the table
  • Informal
9.6
to contribute
883 2.7
to comment
589 1.7

Surface Forms

talk under the table infinitive
talked under the table past
talked under the table past participle
talking under the table present participle
talks under the table third person singular

Morphology

talk + under + the + table

A B1 learner who knows 'talk', 'under' and 'table' would most naturally interpret this as speaking physically beneath a table; the figurative sense 'to outtalk or dominate someone' is an idiomatic/metaphorical extension (likely modeled on patterns like 'drink someone under the table') and is not directly derivable from the parts. Because the intended meaning relies on a language-specific pattern rather than straightforward composition, it would be unpredictable to learners without prior exposure.

Etymology

Talk under the table may come from the image of someone using their talk so strongly that the other person's words are pushed under the table, unable to be heard. So, it means 'to outtalk someone' or 'to dominate a conversation'.