in a vacuum

idiom

: separated from outside events or influences
The group was operating in a vacuum, cut off from the rest of the world.
The city's riots did not happen in a vacuum. They were caused by recent political events.

Examples of in a vacuum in a Sentence

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Look, any of these decisions were at least quasi-defensible in a vacuum. John Hollinger, The Athletic, 29 Dec. 2024 His entire left leg was stabilized in a vacuum splint, which is done when there is concern for severe instability or fracture. Gord Magill, Newsweek, 22 Dec. 2024 League sources point out that the NBA’s slumping ratings this season aren’t in a vacuum. Alex Sherman, CNBC, 19 Dec. 2024 But only one is also trying to replicate the sun’s structure, by having the reactor’s most important component—a powerful magnet—float in a vacuum, surrounded by a ball of thermonuclear glowing gas. IEEE Spectrum, 12 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for in a vacuum 

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Cite this Entry

“In a vacuum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20a%20vacuum. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.

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