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
Party guests Eva Longoria and Marc Anthony also appeared to ve dancing in the background of the video during the performance.
—
Escher Walcott, Peoplemag, 21 Apr. 2024
In fact, while the dangers of this conflict brew in the background, Loid, Yor and Anya set off on an mostly unrelated, much more whimsical adventure that feels only tangentially connected to the larger conflict (and doesn’t actually collide with it until nearly an hour in).
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 19 Apr. 2024
The videos, due April 19, must use the song in the background.
—Variety, NBC News, 17 Apr. 2024
With green aliens dancing in the background, Smith sang a portion of the catchy tune and resurrected dance moves from the music video.
—Sandra Gonzalez, CNN, 15 Apr. 2024
Equally, Combo is the perfect place to chat with a friend over a drink while gentle music plays in the background.
—Francesca Faccani, Vogue, 14 Apr. 2024
Looming in the background now are the volatile thunderclouds of a murky geopolitical future, according to Knopp.
—Paolo Confino, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2024
In the video, Lipa and her dancers dance the day away by and in a giant pool with a city skyline in the background.
—Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 11 Apr. 2024
Frame your shot to show the flowers in the background.
Don’t pick the flowers and don’t dig the plants.
—Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Apr. 2024
Escher Walcott, Peoplemag, 21 Apr. 2024
In fact, while the dangers of this conflict brew in the background, Loid, Yor and Anya set off on an mostly unrelated, much more whimsical adventure that feels only tangentially connected to the larger conflict (and doesn’t actually collide with it until nearly an hour in).
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 19 Apr. 2024
The videos, due April 19, must use the song in the background.
—Variety, NBC News, 17 Apr. 2024
With green aliens dancing in the background, Smith sang a portion of the catchy tune and resurrected dance moves from the music video.
—Sandra Gonzalez, CNN, 15 Apr. 2024
Equally, Combo is the perfect place to chat with a friend over a drink while gentle music plays in the background.
—Francesca Faccani, Vogue, 14 Apr. 2024
Looming in the background now are the volatile thunderclouds of a murky geopolitical future, according to Knopp.
—Paolo Confino, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2024
In the video, Lipa and her dancers dance the day away by and in a giant pool with a city skyline in the background.
—Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 11 Apr. 2024
Frame your shot to show the flowers in the background.
Don’t pick the flowers and don’t dig the plants.
—Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'in the background.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near 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 27 Apr. 2024.
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