# smoke-filled room

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/smoke-filled-room
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A place where powerful people meet to decide a matter in secret, often of a political nature.

## Examples

- The leaders decided the new law in a smoke-filled room.
- The public felt angry because the party candidates were chosen in a smoke-filled room rather than by a fair vote.
- The journalist spent years investigating the corrupt deal, which had been orchestrated by powerful lobbyists behind the closed doors of a smoke-filled room.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.