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

In the dark and moist understories of the subtropical forests of Shimoshima Island in Japan grow parasitic plants that feed on the roots of other plants.

From Science Daily • Dec. 4, 2024

In the dark recesses, I could see items precariously stacked 14 feet high.

From Slate • Aug. 5, 2024

In the dark of night, a construction crew working this week along a Santa Cruz highway discovered a large rabbit close to the roadway.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2024

"In the dark, it's much harder to assess which way the tree is going to fall, so we were quite lucky to have made it through these heart-pounding wake-up calls unscathed," Erb said.

From Salon • May 14, 2024

In the dark I have to hold it centimeters from my nose, laboring over every letter.

From "Girl in the Blue Coat" by Monica Hesse