behind one's back
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
There ought to be no shortage of candidates, despite the sense of having a hand tied behind one's back in taking on the responsibility.
From BBC • Jan. 14, 2026
General Richard Dannatt, head of the army from 2006 to last year, says a lack of resources had left the military conducting operations "with at least part of one arm tied behind one's back."
From Time • Apr. 8, 2010
The hardest of criminals will respond favorably to such treatment when genuine and done in the absence of a "big stick" behind one's back .
From Time Magazine Archive
I wouldn't care to trust her very far from what I've seen of her—she's the sort that always strikes me as being capable of saying anything behind one's back!
From The Belovéd Traitor by Packard, Frank L. (Frank Lucius)
It must be terrible to know that people are saying behind one's back that one means well!
From The Vultures by Merriman, Henry Seton
