back burner

noun

: the condition of being out of active consideration or development
usually used in the phrase on the back burner
back-burner transitive verb

Examples of back burner in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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And when the calls for annexing Canada, Greenland, and Panama produced strong resistance and victories for anti-Trump parties, those issues were shoved to the back burner, as were U.S. plans to take over Gaza, expelling the Palestinians and building a beach resort there. Gideon Rose, Foreign Affairs, 23 June 2025 Social Security employees fear that adding complicated unpaid pension claims to their priority list will push routine needs to the back burner. Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 4 June 2025 Those who have a stable job focus on work-life balance, valuing mental health and job flexibility, whereas high pay and career advancement are temporarily put on the back burner. Lieke Ten Brummelhuis, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025 But that is now likely to be put on the back burner with a clear path to freedom in front of them with the parole panel. Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for back burner

Word History

First Known Use

1943, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of back burner was in 1943

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Cite this Entry

“Back burner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/back%20burner. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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