taken a back seat
Let others lead
To take a back seat is to assume a less prominent or influential position, letting others lead or take priority.
The image is of sitting in the rear of a vehicle while someone else drives.
After decades of running the company, she's taken a back seat and let her daughter handle operations.
Environmental concerns have taken a back seat to economic worries.
- step asideWithdraw from a position
- yieldProduce or relinquish
- give wayCollapse or relent
- subordinateOne lower in rank
- retreatSanctuary or withdrawal
secondary · quiet · passenger · watch · background · humility · resignation · overshadowed · defer · play second fiddle · supportive · backseat driver · wait · bide your time · detachment · peripheral · behind · low profile
taken a back seattaken charge
Begun leading or controlling
taken control · taken the reins · stepped up · run the show · taken the wheel
take, taken, takes, taking, taker, takers, back, backs, backed