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

See Examples For:

in the dark

She was doing her chores in the dark.

From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026

Chinese state media and social media users lined up to lambast Mbappe, although they were left in the dark about what exactly he said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 29, 2026

The music resolves and smoke rolls into the gallery before the screen opens up and the real Endeavour gleams in the distance, spotlighted like a mirage in the dark.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026

Trump enthusiasts lined up in the dark on Tuesday morning, waiting hours for the president’s afternoon talk.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

He said he loved her but felt obligated to keep his parents, and the wider public, in the dark until she was properly educated, and he had returned from the Arctic in triumph.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

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