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

"We live practically like fireflies here -- in the dark all the time. You never know when you'll have power; it's our sad reality," Julian Gonzalez, a 72-year-old carpenter, told AFP.

From Barron's ● Aug. 2, 2026

The conservationists had scramble from the water up a cliff face in the dark to find cracks in the rocks where the snails could be safely left.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

While the president appears to believe that Warsh wants to lower rates, Wall Street economists say they are in the dark, with the new chair remaining mum on key points.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026

A crew of men with blackened faces wearing steel hats with flashlights attached stands in the dark “Anthracite Coal Mine Near Pottsville, Pennsylvania,” photographed by Jack Delano in 1938.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

She had three accomplices arranged in the circle, a neighbor and two cousins, who also knocked when necessary, and rearranged objects in the dark.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock