in the background
idiom
: in a position that avoids attracting attention
He was a shy man who always tried to keep/stay in the background.
Examples of in the background in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Meanwhile, something bubbling away in the background is the news that another estate agent, Douglas Kelly, has mysteriously disappeared.
—
Damon Wise, Deadline, 9 Mar. 2025
The scene plays out with Hill’s luxury dark-colored car — the butterfly door up — in the background.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2025
In the clip, shared on her Instagram Stories and X, Halo sits on a bed playing with a toy stethoscope as his mom's film plays in the background.
—Ingrid Vasquez, People.com, 6 Mar. 2025
In the clip, the whales can be seen circling close to the shore while the city skyline looms in the background.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY, 6 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for in the background
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Damon Wise, Deadline, 9 Mar. 2025
The scene plays out with Hill’s luxury dark-colored car — the butterfly door up — in the background.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2025
In the clip, shared on her Instagram Stories and X, Halo sits on a bed playing with a toy stethoscope as his mom's film plays in the background.
—Ingrid Vasquez, People.com, 6 Mar. 2025
In the clip, the whales can be seen circling close to the shore while the city skyline looms in the background.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY, 6 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for in the background
Cite this Entry
“In the background.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20the%20background. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025.
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