back pocket
Americannoun
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a pocket typically placed on the seat of a pair of trousers, jeans, or shorts.
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Sports. a defensive position in Australian Rules football.
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(especially in the phrase in one's back pocket) the state of being in reserve and ready for use when needed.
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(especially in the phrase in one's back pocket) the state of being under the control of a person or organization.
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.
If you are withholding too much money, it makes sense to reduce that amount so you put that money in your back pocket in lieu of having it languish in IRS coffers.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 8, 2026
Well, unless Intel has any more announcements in its back pocket, the rally is probably at least on pause for now.
From Barron's ● Apr. 10, 2026
If he's losing every round and then pulls a punch out of his back pocket, does that throw him right back into the mix?
From BBC ● Apr. 1, 2026
But on the course of my long international, interweb journey, I did end up with a new name in my back pocket: Acme Smoked Fish.
From Salon ● Feb. 28, 2026
I stuffed the tablet in my back pocket, and Sal and I walked out to Yellow Dog Road.
From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney
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.
