in the wings

Idioms

Also, waiting in the wings. Nearby in the background, available on short notice. For example, Some police were in the wings in case of trouble at the rally, or There are at least a dozen young managers waiting in the wings for Harold to retire. This expression alludes to the theater, where a player waits in the wings or backstage area, unseen by the audience, for his or her turn to come on stage. [Second half of 1800s]

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.

In addition to OpenAI and Anthropic, there’s talk that other major private tech companies such as Databricks, software firm Canva and payments giant Stripe could be waiting in the wings.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

Phil will be without a music director, and with no one in waiting in the wings.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2026

There is no credible alternative government in exile waiting in the wings.

From BBC • Feb. 28, 2026

No clear opposition leader is waiting in the wings, though the former Shah’s son in exile has followers inside the country.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 25, 2026

“Just because nothing happened today doesn’t mean Zero’s not waiting in the wings to act. It could be one part of his grand plan.”

From "Warcross" by Marie Lu

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023