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
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.
Even if Pittsburgh prefers one over the other in a vacuum, finances could complicate the matter. Mike Defabo, The Athletic, 16 Jan. 2025 Our goals do not exist in a vacuum; changing one thing in our lives will ultimately affect another area of our lives. Mark Travers, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025 Genetic studies are not conducted in a vacuum, and social influences can confound analyses seeking to focus on biological effects. Shoumita Dasgupta, The Conversation, 13 Jan. 2025 By Sebastian Smee No cultural movement happens in a vacuum, and in this book Smee, the Pulitzer Prize–winning art critic at The Washington Post, looks beyond the artists’ ateliers, taking a sweeping historical approach to chronicling the advent of impressionism. Julie Belcove, Robb Report, 23 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for in a vacuum 

Dictionary Entries Near 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 20 Jan. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!