play second fiddle
Verb
Meaning
play second fiddle (third-person singular simple present plays second fiddle, present participle playing second fiddle, simple past and past participle played second fiddle)
(idiomatic, intransitive) To play a subsidiary or subordinate role to someone or something else.
Antonyms
Examples
It seems like a foregone conclusion that Cole Caufield will lead the team and the conference in scoring this season, but who will play second fiddle?
Europe demonstrated unity in Sofia and sent a strong message to the US: We won't play second fiddle in global politics.
The food is tasty, or rather better than you expect it to be considering this is more of a supper club where the cuisine might normally play second fiddle to the various cocktail concoctions.
The full-time kid you birthed may even play second fiddle to the part-time stepkid you love.
In earlier times Mahinda was quite content to play second fiddle to Anura Bandaranaike and then Chandrika Kumaratunga.
Initially she went along with these organisations but soon it became apparent that Ananthy had an independent agenda and would not play second fiddle to another.