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

Perhaps they’re aquatic organisms—otherworldly cephalopods—that thrive in the dark seas of the outer solar system’s icy moons.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

A video of the wolf scampering on a road in the dark, illuminated by the headlights of a vehicle, was also uploaded on social media.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 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

Being alone in the dark house with Patch, or having nothing to eat but warm water with a few leaves floating around on top?

From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff