back pocket
Americannoun
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a pocket typically placed on the seat of a pair of trousers, jeans, or shorts.
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Sports. a defensive position in Australian Rules football.
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(especially in the phrase in one's back pocket) the state of being in reserve and ready for use when needed.
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(especially in the phrase in one's back pocket) the state of being under the control of a person or organization.
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.
“These tests are all good to have in our back pocket and all good to be able to offer to patients,” Fenster said, “but patients should understand that they’re not the same as a colonoscopy.”
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 4, 2026
Well, unless Intel has any more announcements in its back pocket, the rally is probably at least on pause for now.
From Barron's ● Apr. 10, 2026
But on the course of my long international, interweb journey, I did end up with a new name in my back pocket: Acme Smoked Fish.
From Salon ● Feb. 28, 2026
He's not really known for his defending but I thought he shackled Harvey Barnes and put him in his back pocket.
From BBC ● Jan. 26, 2026
Just then, the cell phone in her back pocket chimes.
From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan
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.
