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 .

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Example Sentences

These are matters of the heart that can only be felt in the dark of the theater, watching such wonderfully realized characters weigh the cost of loving their work in a world that scarcely reciprocates.

From Salon • May 1, 2026

At five, she was diagnosed with LCA when her parents noticed she was struggling to see in the dark.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026

But she feels annoyed every time they don’t bother explaining visual references, like a gift exchange in a 2024 holiday-season episode that left her in the dark.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

"Compared with plants grown in the dark, the epidermal and inner tissues of plants grown in the light are more tightly bound together," Professor Soga said.

From Science Daily • Apr. 13, 2026

At first I could make out nothing in the dark car; then in a corner I saw a tall, uneven shape.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom