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.
There was a time, the woman said, when rolling down the road meant perching on her husband’s back seat. — Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026 Graham Summers was killed in the accident, and his two other children, 3 years old and 5 years old, were found injured in the back seat. — Rachel Roberts, Idaho Statesman, 3 Sep. 2026 Michael loaded the children into the back seat and put Donnie’s wheelchair in the truck bed. — Ruby Cramer, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026 The old east bleacher seats were available last season to go with brand-new chair-back seats on the west and north sides. — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 30 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 4 Sep. 2026.

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