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 Horizon Investment’s Dickson said the gauge of price growth now takes a back seat to labor data following the Fed’s last meeting. —Alex Harring, CNBC, 4 Oct. 2024

Surprisingly, in a close election year, marked by animus from one political party to the next, the economic news has taken a back seat to other issues deemed more worrisome. —Joel Shulman, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2024

The race was the second most expensive House primary in U.S. history, taking a back seat only to the contest earlier this year for Rep. Jamaal Bowman’s Bronx-area seat, according to the group ad impact. —Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY, 7 Aug. 2024

For him, ballot-count accuracy took a back seat to his self-serving political objectives. —Mercury News Editorial, The Mercury News, 11 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined above