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in the dark

in the dark idiom

In secret, in concealment, as in This agreement was concluded in the dark. [Early 1600s]
In a state of ignorance, uninformed, as in I was in the dark about their plans. This metaphor often appears in the locution keep someone in the dark, meaning “deliberately keep someone uninformed,” as in They kept me in the dark about their plans. [Late 1600s] For an antonym, see in the know.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.