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 are introduced to a former housemaid, who, before being diagnosed as insane, was “up before dawn with scuttle bucket and shovel, home in the dark to the thatch dripping soot.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● 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

"I can see improvements now, but there have been some really difficult times where it felt like we were shouting in the dark."

From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026

Residents who live in the wildland-urban interface, which is more prone to fire, have to post reflective numbers that can be seen in the dark.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026

I couldn’t imagine how they found their way in the dark between the tree branches and back up again before they ran out of air.

From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo

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