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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.

But US firms worry longstanding issues like expanding market access might be taking a back seat as economic ties shift.

From Barron's • May 8, 2026

The children watched the whole thing from the back seat.

From Slate • Apr. 25, 2026

After Spivey’s truck arrived at the police impound lot, Jones pointed out a compartment concealed in the back seat and asked Tamasi to open it.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

The aircraft has two crew: the pilot in the front who flies the jet and a weapons systems officer in the back seat.

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

The scrappy puppy in the back seat, however, hops into the pilot's lap and starts gnawing on the control stick!

From "Dog Squad" by Chris Grabenstein

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.