back seat

noun

ˈbak-ˈsēt 

variants or less commonly backseat

1

: a seat in the back (as of an automobile)

2

: a secondary or inferior position

… the issues and concerns that have sometimes been given a back seat …

—Al Gore

see also take a back seat

Examples of back seat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In December, a passenger in San Francisco on her way to the hospital even gave birth in a Waymo’s back seat. — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 14 July 2026

Investigators said surveillance video captured Rodolico cleaning out the back seat of his vehicle after Jones disappeared. — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 14 July 2026

So, what happens when strong personalities inside the family start taking over the steering, with the other members left in the back seat? — David Crown, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026

Before locking your vehicle, always check the back seat to ensure everyone has safely exited. — Paula Wethington, CBS News, 1 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1715, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for back seat

• amit
• athlete
• backseat
• blackfeet
• broadsheet
• browbeat
• buckwheat
• compete
• compleat
• complete
• conceit
• concrete