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back channel

American

[bak chan-l] / ˈbæk ˌtʃæn l /

Or backchannel

noun

a secret, unofficial, or informal channel of communication as used in politics or diplomacy.

sensitive information passed on through a back channel.

Other Word Forms

back-channel adjective
back-channeling noun

Etymology

Origin of back channel

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

They say it would prefer to play the role of back channel facilitator, which Islamabad held in talks with the Taliban over the U.S. military’s withdrawal from Afghanistan.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

These talks went on for a month, completely in a back channel.

From Slate • Nov. 24, 2025

To achieve that, Leo worked a back channel directly to Blunt.

From Salon • Oct. 12, 2023

Set up in 1991, Operation Chiffon worked as a secret back channel of communication between the leaders of the IRA and the British government.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2023

“Den we tak to das back channel, where de water not queek, and I t’ink we mak good tam.”

From The God of His Fathers: Tales of the Klondyke by London, Jack

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023