under the table vs below the table

Both phrases, 'under the table' and 'below the table,' are correct, but they are used in different contexts. 'Under the table' is commonly used to refer to something hidden or done secretly, while 'below the table' is less common and usually used in a more literal sense to describe something physically positioned beneath the table.

Last updated: April 10, 2024 • 559 views

under the table

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to refer to something hidden or done secretly.

This phrase is used to describe something that is not visible or known, often related to secret or dishonest activities. It can also be used in a literal sense when something is physically located beneath a table.

Examples:

He passed the money under the table to avoid detection.
The cat hid under the table during the thunderstorm.
The wires are tangled under the table.
She kicked her shoes under the table.
The dog found a bone under the table.

Show examples from the web [+]

An open but confusing sexual orientation. If you were to walk into a room in which one person was in the closet and another were under the table, ...
Definition of under the table in the Idioms Dictionary. under the table phrase. What does under the table expression mean? Definitions by the largest Idiom ...
8 days ago ... under the table definition: 1. If something is done under the table, it is a secret, hidden action: 2. If something is done…. Learn more.

Alternatives:

beneath the table
hidden from view
secretly
covertly
concealed

below the table

This phrase is correct but less commonly used in English. It is usually used in a more literal sense to describe something physically positioned beneath the table.

This phrase is used to describe something that is physically located beneath a table. It is less commonly used compared to 'under the table' and is more literal in its meaning.

Examples:

The cat found a toy below the table.
There is a storage box below the table.
The floor is dirty below the table.
She placed her bag below the table.
The extension cord runs below the table.

Show examples from the web [+]

Number tables in the order in which they are mentioned in your paper. title: The table title appears one double-spaced line below the table number.
The cat is below the table.Are they the same? No. There are some strange answers here. Ignore them. Both sentences are plain English, but a cat ...
The dog is under /beneath /underneath /below the table. The undergound or the tube passes/ runs / underneath /beneath the ground.
... in the first row below the table (row 5) expands the table to include the pasted data. Pasting data below the table expands the table to include it.
Mar 25, 2021 ... There are several parameters for this property, but we have been asked to put the caption below the table, so we will use a single parameter ...
Nov 13, 2021 ... bottom. The caption is displayed below the table. Warning: Do not use this attribute, as it has been deprecated. The ...
Jan 27, 2022 ... I want to add more than one footnote below the table. I saw one footnote and know how it works. \setlength{\tabcolsep}{6pt} \renewcommand ...
Feb 8, 2021 ... The caption label will appear above/below the table or figure. To add the text of your caption, click after the table/figure number and ...
Nov 24, 2021 ... Note: A note can appear below the table to describe the contents of the table that cannot be understood from the table title or body alone, ( ...

Alternatives:

underneath the table
beneath the table
on the floor under the table
positioned beneath the table
located below the table

What Our Customers Are Saying

Our customers love us! We have an average rating of 4.79 stars based on 283,125 votes.
Also check out our 2,100+ reviews on TrustPilot (4.9).

"Amazing! I like that the editors are REAL people and not A.I., like some use. The editors actually see clients as real people and not just apart of their job, and it shows. 💖"
moggie April 2025
"TextRanch has been a great help to me, especially at work because I often email my boss."
Jhey April 2025
"Thank you!"
Sachi Nakama July 2024
"I have literally been through chat, PI, claude, bard and bing and I got conflicting answers! Thank you! Human intelligence reigns!"
Retha July 2024
"Faster than AI"
CYNTHIA December 2023
"This was very helpful and I personally think this site is the best."
Kaden October 2023
"It was extremely thorough and very helpful!"
imperialelisa October 2023
"7 years without any disappointment. Always 100% satisfied. You guys are the best in the world at what you do. Thank you so much :)"
Zubair Alam October 2023
"In a world of text messages and online communication, this is great to have as a live tool. Thank you."
Selena October 2023
"Without textranch I would be stuck!"
宏祐 October 2023
"Accuracy and fast response. Personal comments from editor. Thank you."
Clh September 2023
"I wasn't aware of this service, it's fascinating and more reliable than standard IA tools available on the internet"
Arturo September 2023
"The fact that you can get reliable fast feedback on your texts."
Vinicius Antonio August 2023
"you guys are better than grammarly i'm being honest here"
ordinary July 2023
"OMG! This is really good than any other text correction tools I've used so far. Highly recommend this."
Vehan July 2023
"Very fast and accurate. thank you."
mojtaba July 2023
"I love this app because it's help to writing skills all of students ♥️"
Tarisini July 2023
"This was exactly the mistake I was looking for, the wording dind´t sound right at first. Better than grammarly!"
Ente July 2023
"The immediate help that I received was reassuring and very satisfactory. Thanks."
priiiyanshuu July 2023
"this helps A LOT for my studies."
kathnunez02 June 2023
"Woow!! I would never have expected such precision! Thank you soooo much!!"
Berta June 2023
"Real Time Editor and not AI. Many Thanks."
Priya June 2023
"The very first thing excites me about Textranch is how much your editors care."
sepideh June 2023
"The fact that texts are checked by human editors rather than by AI, etc. I appreciate this!"
Анна June 2023