back seat

noun

ˈbak-ˈsēt How to pronounce back seat (audio)
variants or less commonly backseat
1
: a seat in the back (as of an automobile)
2
: a secondary or inferior position
… the issues and concerns that have sometimes been given a back seat …—Al Gore
see also take a back seat

Examples of back seat 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.
Tonge’s sister and brother-in-law were driving their SUV down Blue Lakes when a shot ripped through both windows in the back seat of their car. — Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 4 Aug. 2026 Riordan then turned to Nelson and Tsukahara in the back seat. — Chase Hunter, Mercury News, 4 Aug. 2026 Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk was photographed wearing Normatec compression boots in the back seat of his car on post‑match drives home before becoming an official partner. — Lilian Raji, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026 Passengers in the back seat held up smartphones and appeared to snap pictures of the house. — Stephanie Murray, USA Today, 1 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for back seat

Word History

First Known Use

1715, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of back seat was in 1715

Rhymes for back seat

See All Rhymes for back seat

Browse Nearby Words

back-scratching
back seat
backseat driver
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Back seat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/back%20seat. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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