back seat
Britishnoun
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a seat at the back, esp of a vehicle
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informal a subordinate or inconspicuous position (esp in the phrase take a back seat )
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.
To this day, Mars remains out of reach for human feet—taking a back seat to renewed interest in returning to the moon—a victim, perhaps, of the current politics of space travel.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 13, 2026
Football matches took a back seat when Jim moved to England to pursue a career as a financial advisor, but his interest was rekindled in the early 2000s.
From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2026
Another young passenger in the back seat was hospitalized for a precautionary evaluation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 6, 2026
"Emotions take a back seat," he said, his eyes bloodshot after having worked with his colleagues throughout the night.
From Barron's ● May 25, 2026
Joon lies flat on his stomach, taking up the whole back seat.
From "A Step from Heaven" by An Na
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.
