in a vacuum
idiom
: separated from outside events or influences
The group was operating in a vacuum, cut off from the rest of the world.
The city's riots did not happen in a vacuum. They were caused by recent political events.
Examples of in a vacuum in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Of course, this kind of virtuous cycle can’t occur in a vacuum.
—
David J. Kappos, Fortune, 8 Jan. 2026
What happened on the first night of Chanukah in Sydney also did not occur in a vacuum.
—Rabbi Steve Roth, Sun Sentinel, 6 Jan. 2026
And in a vacuum, a team in the Sharks’ position — middle of the pack, rising but flawed — should be selling high.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 30 Dec. 2025
Economists have also said rising prices during Biden's presidency did not occur in a vacuum, but emerged in part from factors such as the supply shortage imposed by the pandemic.
—Oren Oppenheim, ABC News, 19 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for in a vacuum
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David J. Kappos, Fortune, 8 Jan. 2026
What happened on the first night of Chanukah in Sydney also did not occur in a vacuum.
—Rabbi Steve Roth, Sun Sentinel, 6 Jan. 2026
And in a vacuum, a team in the Sharks’ position — middle of the pack, rising but flawed — should be selling high.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 30 Dec. 2025
Economists have also said rising prices during Biden's presidency did not occur in a vacuum, but emerged in part from factors such as the supply shortage imposed by the pandemic.
—Oren Oppenheim, ABC News, 19 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for in a vacuum
Cite this Entry
“In a vacuum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20a%20vacuum. Accessed 14 Jan. 2026.
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