in the shadow of

phrase

1
: very close to
a town located in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains
2
: in a position of being unnoticed because all the attention is given to someone else
She grew up in the shadow of her very popular sister.

Examples of in the shadow of 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.
Vaccarello’s all-gold spring 2027 show — the collection marching under three monumental chandeliers and in the shadow of a twinkling Eiffel Tower — felt like a swan song, official or not. — Miles Socha, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026 Some died in Israeli strikes and operations, or in the shadow of Israeli decisions. — Jeremy Diamond, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026 With music, lyrics and book by Jonathan Larson, the rock musical follows a year in the lives of eight 20-something struggling artists living in Manhattan’s East Village in the shadow of the HIV/AIDS crisis at the turn of the ’90s. — Ellise Shafer, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026 The Pakistani community has long lived in the shadow of the far larger Indian American community, the second-largest immigrant group in the United States. — Maryam Jillani, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for in the shadow of

Rhymes for in the shadow of

See All Rhymes for in the shadow of

Browse Nearby Words

in the second place
in the shadow of
in the shape of
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“In the shadow of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20the%20shadow%20of. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of deportment

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Why do we call it a 'flea market'?
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All