Hide behind Meaning in English
expression
Definition
To place yourself out of sight by positioning yourself behind something; also, to avoid responsibility by using something or someone as an excuse.
Usage & Nuances
Can be used literally (physically hiding) or figuratively (avoiding responsibility). Common in criticism, e.g., 'hide behind an excuse.' Not considered formal or slang; neutral tone.
Spanish: esconderse detrás de - ocultarse trasPortuguese (BR): esconder-se atrás de - ocultar-se atrás dePortuguese (PT): esconder-se atrás de - ocultar-se atrás deChinese (Simplified): 躲在……后面 - 以……为借口Chinese (Traditional): 躲在……後面 - 以……為藉口Hindi: के पीछे छिपना - बहाने के तौर पर इस्तेमाल करनाArabic: يختبئ خلف - يتستر خلفBengali: পিছনে লুকানো - দায়িত্ব এড়াতে অযুহাতের আড়ালে থাকাRussian: прятаться за - укрываться за (переносное значение)Japanese: ～の後ろに隠れる - ～を言い訳にするVietnamese: trốn sau - lấy làm cái cớ (trốn tránh trách nhiệm)Korean: 뒤에 숨다 - 핑계 뒤에 숨다Turkish: arkasına saklanmak - bahane arkasına saklanmakUrdu: پیچھے چھپنا - کسی بہانے کے پیچھے چھپ جاناIndonesian: bersembunyi di balik - berlindung di balik (alasan/hal lain)
Example Sentences
The cat likes to hide behind the couch.
basic
Children sometimes hide behind their parents when they're shy.
basic
You can't just hide behind a busy schedule forever—sooner or later you'll have to talk to him.
natural
He tends to hide behind excuses instead of admitting his mistakes.
natural
Please don't hide behind the door when we play.
basic
Why do you always hide behind other people when things get tough?
natural