by/through the back door

not in a direct, official, or honest way.

He accused the government of privatizing the health service through the back door.

• in the soup
• in the strictest confidence
• in the strict sense
• in the teeth of
• in the teeth of something
• in the thick of it
• in the toilet
• in the twinkling of an eye
• in the vicinity of
• in the vicinity of something
• in the wake of
• in the wake of something
• in the way
• in the way of
• in the way of something
• in the wilderness
• in the wind
• in the wings
• in the works
• in the world
• in the worst way
• in the wrong
• in the wrong place
• in the wrong place at the wrong time
• in this day and age