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Synonyms

back seat

British  

noun

  1. a seat at the back, esp of a vehicle

  2. informal a subordinate or inconspicuous position (esp in the phrase take a back seat )

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

When Estuardo Mazariegos was 22, he was pulled over by Los Angeles police officers who found a gun and ammunition in the back seat of his Nissan Sentra.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

For decades, the U.S. took a back seat to securing the Gulf.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 21, 2026

“With soft economic data taking a back seat, conflict duration is key.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 9, 2026

As is typical with these congressional addresses, no matter who the president is, foreign policy tended to take a back seat.

From BBC • Feb. 25, 2026

Dad frowned as he twisted around to check his back seat.

From "From the Desk of Zoe Washington" by Janae Marks

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.