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
If he's losing every round and then pulls a punch out of his back pocket, does that throw him right back into the mix?
From BBC ● Apr. 1, 2026
Fact: Sitting with a large wallet in your back pocket can cause leg or hip pain and numbness, but typically not back pain.
From Science Daily ● Dec. 15, 2025
I took the pictures out of my back pocket and held them out to her, but she didn't move, didn't reach for them.
From "Miracle's Boys" by Jacqueline Woodson
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.
