not on the level

Meanings

1. 1phrasefixed phraseinformal

   Dishonest or not to be trusted; not fair or genuine.

   Grammar: Used after 'be' or 'seem': The deal is not on the level.

   Patterns

   • be not on the level
   • seem not on the level
   • not on the level with someone

   The offer sounded too good, so I suspected it was not on the level.

   He is not on the level with his business partners.

   The whole scheme was not on the level, and the police got involved.

2. 2phrasefixed phraseinformal

   Not behaving in an honest or fair way toward someone.

   Grammar: Often followed by 'with': She was not on the level with me.

   Patterns

   • not be on the level with someone

   I felt she was not on the level with me about the money.

   If you are not on the level with your customers, you will lose their trust.

Common combinations

not on the level with someone

He was not on the level with his wife about his debts.

something is not on the level

The contract is not on the level, so don't sign it.

seem not on the level

The whole story seems not on the level.

Synonyms and how they differ

dishonest

A direct adjective; 'not on the level' is a more informal phrase with a similar meaning.

crooked

Stronger and often suggests criminal activity; 'not on the level' is milder and can just mean unfair.

Opposites

Commonly confused: not on the level or on the level?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “not on the level”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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