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nas costas de

[naʃ 'kɔʃtɐʃ dɨ]
prepositional phrase
on the back of / behind someone's back
1. physically on someone's back or shoulders
The child was carried on his father's back.
A criança foi carregada nas costas do pai.
2. without someone's knowledge; in secret or deceptively
They made fun of him behind his back.
Eles fizeram troça dele nas costas dele.
3. at the expense of someone; using someone's effort or resources
He built his fortune on the backs of his workers.
Ele construiu sua fortuna nas costas dos seus trabalhadores.
NYC Slang
behind someone's back / on someone's back
Synonyms
pelas costas desecretamenteescondidas
Antonyms
de frente paraabertamentena cara de

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
nas costas de
most common usage
Portugal
nas costas de
equivalent usage, also pelas costas de

Related Idioms & Phrases

pelas costas
fazer algo nas costas de alguém
estar nas costas de
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