Under the radar means unnoticed, getting little public attention: The small gallery stayed under the radar until a local magazine featured it. A mistake can slip under the radar, getting past every check. And an under-the-radar café is a place only a few people know about, which is usually a compliment.
When would you say under the radar?
Write a sentence — we'll check that the expression fits the situation and suggest what to fix.
The check is taking longer than usual. Your feedback will appear here automatically.
stay / remain / fly under the radar; an under-the-radar + noun
- The small gallery stayed under the radar until a local magazine featured it.
- Several spelling errors slipped under the radar during the final review.
- The guide includes a few under-the-radar cafés away from the main square.
What changed
First versionHer first exhibition flew under radar because very few people heard about it.
RevisionHer first exhibition flew under the radar because very few people heard about it.
Radar sounds like a general technology word, so under radar can seem fine. But the idiom pictures one radar watching everything: under the radar. Add the.
Low-key means modest and quiet: even a celebrity can have a low-key wedding. Under the radar means almost nobody noticed. In the dark means a person doesn't know something important.
Your turn
The change received almost no attention and stayed under ___ radar.
Show the answer
the — The idiom always takes the: under the radar. With a, it sounds like one particular device.
Describe a little-known place, writer or event that few people have noticed. Use under the radar.
The community concert stayed under the radar because it was advertised only on the library noticeboard.
Learn to use new words without mistakes
Write phrases with the words you are learning. LetsWords shows mistakes in usage and grammar, suggests corrections and explains them, and review helps the words stick.