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

The tannins take a back seat to acidity, which will help this wine age for decades. —Tom Mullen, Forbes.com, 6 July 2025

Even Pritzker’s presidential ambitions must take a back seat to what should be the only consideration — who is best capable of leading this state if a reelected Gov. Pritzker doesn’t complete his third term for one reason or another. —The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 1 July 2025

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

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