take a back seat

idiomatic phrase

variants or take a backseat

: to have or assume a secondary position or status : to be or become less important, active, or powerful

Howard loved directing "more than I even thought I would," and his acting career has taken a back seat ever since.

—Newsweek

That's why Bryant's willingness to tone down his game is significant. It doesn't mean, however, that he's content to take a backseat indefinitely.

—Phil Taylor

—often used with to

Physically and emotionally, these guys take a back seat to no one.

—Mark Vancil

Examples of take a back seat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But too often, the star attraction takes a back seat to the much less entertaining Amelia, an icy blonde killing machine like so many icy blonde killing machines before her, with none of M3GAN’s sardonic wit. —David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 25 June 2025

But when war broke out in Ukraine in 2022 and in Gaza the next year, the Indo-Pacific once again took a back seat. —Jennifer Lind, Foreign Affairs, 24 June 2025

Yet, despite this shift in mindset, marketing is still taking a back seat at many companies, squeezed by trade tensions, economic uncertainty, and cautious consumer spending. —Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 20 June 2025

Here, the plot takes a back seat to gameplay, making for a strange mash-up of inspirations that feels equal parts dollar store Ghostbusters and intense extraction shooter. —Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 19 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for take a back seat

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