take a back seat

Idioms

Occupy an inferior position; allow another to be in control. For example, Linda was content to take a back seat and let Nancy run the meeting. This idiom uses back seat in contrast to the driver's seat, that is, the one in control. [Mid-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.

“Notional ideas rooted in fundamentals are going to frequently take a back seat in favor of the ever-increasing pace of change in global geopolitics,” he says.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026

Credit-card revenue fears are likely to quickly take a back seat as Delta reports earnings Tuesday, providing a key update on the health of the sector.

From Barron's • Jan. 12, 2026

And do the most obvious mechanisms for lessening screen time—putting your phone away, acting like an actual human being sometimes, or taking a walk outside—really need to take a back seat to industry?

From Slate • Sep. 5, 2025

The US was supposed to take a back seat in the bombing campaign but was still heavily relied on for logistics - air-to-air refuelling - and providing intelligence and surveillance.

From BBC • Feb. 18, 2025

What, I'm supposed to take a back seat to some punk kid who didn't even really want in?

From "How It Went Down" by Kekla Magoon

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