in the dark
Idioms-
In secret, in concealment, as in This agreement was concluded in the dark . [Early 1600s]
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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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The public discourse is bursting with timelines, but frankly, those are all just shots in the dark, as AGI will require another breakthrough moment like the launch of ChatGPT.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 22, 2026
Tilley said the purpose of caterpillar's ability to glow in the dark is still unknown.
From BBC • Jun. 14, 2026
If even a high-profile billionaire global philanthropist is in the dark, what does that mean for the billions of women with less than a fraction of her resources?
From Salon • Jun. 14, 2026
A series of military exercises taking place in empty buildings across the Southland are scaring residents and rattling neighbors as the sound of gunfire rings out in the dark and troops descend from helicopters.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2026
He got near enough to observe it clearly in the dark, although he was careful not to let it know that he was near.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
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.
