background noise
noun
: undesired sound that is heard in a radio broadcast, a tape recording, etc.
The recording had a lot of background noise.
Examples of background noise in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The co-directors’ script is eventful enough, however, to keep their squabbling more as comedic background noise than an irksome dominant element.
—
Dennis Harvey, Variety, 14 Mar. 2026
Voices are generally loud and clear, but the phone sometimes struggles to filter out background noise, making conversations tricky to hear.
—Eric Zeman, PC Magazine, 13 Mar. 2026
In Qlayaa, less than three miles from Lebanon’s border with Israel, the sounds of artillery, airstrikes and drones had blended into background noise.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2026
The record’s propulsive synths mimic the whirr of wheels on the road, mechanized background noise for a life and a mind that won’t be still.
—Linnie Greene, Pitchfork, 9 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for background noise
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Dennis Harvey, Variety, 14 Mar. 2026
Voices are generally loud and clear, but the phone sometimes struggles to filter out background noise, making conversations tricky to hear.
—Eric Zeman, PC Magazine, 13 Mar. 2026
In Qlayaa, less than three miles from Lebanon’s border with Israel, the sounds of artillery, airstrikes and drones had blended into background noise.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2026
The record’s propulsive synths mimic the whirr of wheels on the road, mechanized background noise for a life and a mind that won’t be still.
—Linnie Greene, Pitchfork, 9 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for background noise
Cite this Entry
“Background noise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/background%20noise. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.
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