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 federal government has largely taken a back seat to in regulating autonomous vehicles, leaving states to develop their own rulebooks for safe deployment — which Duffy said was not ideal. —Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 15 Jan. 2025

That was an early sign that the State Department was taking a back seat in shaping war policy. —Brett Murphy, ProPublica, 15 Jan. 2025

As the Rams have gotten accustomed to life without star wideout Tory Horton (season-ending surgery), the Air Raid has taken a back seat to establishing tempo and momentum on the ground. —Kyle Newman, The Denver Post, 10 Nov. 2024

Ambition takes a back seat, when nobody needs or wants to be in the manager. —Chris Westfall, Forbes, 18 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined above