in the dark

Idioms  

1. In secret, in concealment, as in This agreement was concluded in the dark . [Early 1600s]

2. In a state of ignorance, uninformed, as in I was in the dark about their plans . This metaphor often appears in the locution keep someone in the dark , meaning “deliberately keep someone uninformed,” as in They kept me in the dark about their plans . [Late 1600s] For an antonym, see in the know .

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

in the dark

The change is going to help “hundreds of thousands” of taxpayers who were in the dark about the existing abatement process, according to Erin Collins, the IRS’s national taxpayer advocate.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 8, 2026

"Being able to play outside in the dark feels so exciting. It just builds a really special atmosphere."

From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026

The justices do this increasingly on the fly and in the dark.

From Slate ● Jul. 2, 2026

Instead, it quietly coordinated with ships to move them out of the Gulf in the dark of night and with their transponders switched off.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026

Telescoping rods helped move objects in the dark.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock