back seat

noun

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 seatAl Gore
see also take a back seat

Examples of back seat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Ring camera video shows the passenger exiting the back seat, walking to the driver's side door, and shooting Tejada. CBS News, 2 Jan. 2026 Police said the suspect exited the back seat, shot Tejada and left him in the road before fleeing the scene. Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 2 Jan. 2026 The back seat window rolls down and a man whose face is mostly covered by a baseball cap wordlessly takes the box and the pair drive away. Dave Lieber, Dallas Morning News, 1 Jan. 2026 Testers compared the texture and look of to yogurt, while flavor took the back seat. Catherine Jessee, Southern Living, 31 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for back seat

Word History

First Known Use

1715, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of back seat was in 1715

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Back seat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/back%20seat. Accessed 4 Jan. 2026.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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