black-bag
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: 4.71 in modern English
19
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
3
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
adj
Involving sophisticated clandestine methods for gaining unauthorized entry and obtaining information.
verb
To break in to a place without authorization as part of a clandestine operation.
verb
To kidnap in order to make someone disappear (as opposed to kidnapping for ransom).
Example Sentences
- "Watergate turned out to be a black-bag operation by former CIA employees."
- "Holden's SEAL training had covered clandestine penetrations, but never black-bag jobs"
- "Con Keeler was past his fortieth birthday and a veteran of more black-bag jobs than he could count."
- "In an interesting coda that perhaps presaged the black-bag jobs of the Watergate era, an unknown person or persons broke into Dr. Parr's office on New York's Forty-second street in 1926, gained access to the safe, and stole President Grant's, Mrs. Grant's, and President Chester Arthur's dentures."
- "He'd been tapped, bugged, and black-bagged under Nixon and Clinton, and under the present conditions all the cops needed to listen in was a thumbs-up from an Eagle Scout or better."
- "Nothing jimmied. Nothing damaged. She'd been black-bagged by a pro."